Maiden Of Stone

by RySenkari

[Life And Times of Red X sequel] After a few months off, Red X decides to resume his life as a thief, and immediately stumbles on a sinister plan by a group of powerbrokers. This plan has one MAJOR component... involving a certain long lost sixth Titan.

7. Cacophany Of Doubt

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, this would be on TV and not here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This doesn't take place in the same storyline as my "Forced Base" and "Fractured Heart" stories, so forget those when you're reading this. Also, about Sanza/Red X: When he's wearing the mask, he's Red X. When he's not, he's Sanza. Simple as that.

SECOND AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a sequel to "The Life and Times of Red X", which is in my profile. Read that before you read this. Also, this fic COMPLETELY IGNORES the events of the fifth season (with the exception of "Go"). For the purposes of this fic, "Things Change" NEVER HAPPENED.

O-O-O

It had been a long night for the Teen Titans, and it would be a late morning as well... with the exception of their leader, Robin. He was up bright and early, though it meant that he would only receive a few hours of sleep. He'd just finished making himself breakfast when the second of the Titans to awaken made their way into the kitchen.

"Morning, Rae," said Robin, watching as his blue-cloaked friend used her telekinetic powers to pour herself a bowl of cereal from the cabinet without touching either the box or bowl. "Get up because you couldn't sleep, or-"

"You got it," she replied softly, picking up her cereal bowl and sitting down at the counter next to Robin. "I don't think any of the others will be getting up for a while..."

And by others, Raven not only meant Cyborg, Starfire, or Beast Boy... but Terra as well, who, after ten months of being a statue, had finally returned to Titans Tower. Pinnacle Industries' plan to turn her into a weapon had failed miserably after the destruction of the Crisis Crystal, and Terra was now back on the team.

But all of the Titans, especially Terra, knew that she was back on a provisional basis... and though the Titans were ready to once again accept the blonde geomancer back into their lives, all of them had at least a few lingering doubts. Raven, who'd been the most vocal objector to Terra during her first stint on the team, was certainly no exception.

"Do you think Terra's redeemed herself enough to return to the team?"

Raven's question was quick, out of the blue, and something that Robin had to think about for several seconds. Out of all the Titans, the one who'd been most reluctant to have Terra back on the team had thus far been Terra herself... could the Titans be jumping the gun on accepting her back.

"I'm sure she still has issues with controlling her powers," said Robin. "That's what drove her to Slade last time... she was so afraid that we'd reject her because she didn't have control that she ended up rejecting us first."

Robin had prepared himself an all-American breakfast... eggs, sausage, bacon, and a heaping helping of pancakes and syrup. He spoke to Raven through bites of his food... the Boy Wonder had an usually large appetite this particular morning, and Raven could tell that it was because of anxiety. Anxiety about Terra... and the future of the team.

Raven could understand why Terra would be so distraught about being unable to control her powers... Raven had gone through those same issues herself, and she still had to maintain emotional restraint to be able to contain much of the immense energy forces present in her body. Fortunately, by the time Raven had met the other Titans, she already had full control over her abilities... Terra had not been so lucky.

"I think we need to make her feel welcome... if she knows that she has a place she can go where people will always accept her, then... I think we can trust her," said Robin, taking another bite of his pancakes.

"That's what she had last time... and she betrayed us anyway," Raven replied quickly.

Robin gave a solemn nod... but then, a thought came into his head.

"The last time she returned to us, she had already made a deal with Slade... this time, we've been with her since the moment she came back to life. So... as long as she stays here..."

Robin seemed to have a point... Raven said nothing, simply turning her head and taking another bite of cereal. Whatever decision Terra made, it was obvious that the attitude that the Titans took toward her would make a huge difference in whether or not she wanted to remain with the team.

A Teen Titan... a true friend. Even after Terra had betrayed them, the Titans still regarded Terra as a friend... now that she had returned, would the friendship continue?

"It's easier to love a statue that can never hurt you than a person who can betray and destroy you in an instant..." thought Raven, still remembering the emotional hurt that she herself had sustained when she learned of Terra's betrayal. "She still has issues that she needs to work out... until she does, I still can't be completely sure that she won't hurt us again..."

O-O-O

Beast Boy was the next to awaken, sitting up wide-eyed in his bed at half past ten. His body was drenched in sweat, and he was gasping for breath... he'd had another nightmare, almost identical to the one he'd had just two nights earlier.

"Terra..." he thought, his hand brushing the side of his cheek. "It's my fault that she ended up a statue... that she became Slade's apprentice... I can't... I can't... I can't go on like this without telling her how sorry I am..."

And the difference between today and two days ago... this time, Terra was alive. She could hear everything that Beast Boy wanted to say to her... and as long as she would listen, he could tell her that he was sorry.

He glanced over all the clutter in his room... the piles of garbage and old clothes strewn about haphazardly, CDs and comics lying randomly across the carpeted floor... and there, leaning in the corner, was the heart-shaped box he'd given Terra on the night she'd betrayed him... or, at least from Beast Boy's point of view, the night he'd betrayed her.

He had to tell her... and now, she was just two rooms down the hall.

Wearily rising from his bed, Beast Boy walked over to the front door of his room. As soon as it opened, he saw one of his fellow Titans towering over him. It was Cyborg, a smile on his face.

"Well, good morning, Beast Boy!" said Cyborg, looking down at Beast Boy and blocking his way out into the hall. "You all ready to start the day?"

Beast Boy nodded, trying to squeeze past Cyborg, whose large metallic body nearly took up the entire doorway. Cyborg shifted his frame to the left, cutting off his friend's exit.

"Yo, what's the rush? It's not a good idea to exert yourself this early in the day," said Cyborg. "Especially without any breakfast in you."

"I just need to see Terra," replied Beast Boy, letting out a long sigh. "I... I had another nightmare about her, and-"

"I think the little rock n' roller needs her rest right now," said Cyborg, his grin disappearing. "She's had a really rough past few months. Just let her sleep in 'til noon, and then you can go risk waking her up."

Beast Boy bowed his head. Cyborg was right... Terra did need her rest, and as far as Beast Boy was concerned, she could sleep the entire day if she wanted to... she'd almost certainly earned it.

But that didn't shake the changeling's guilt or uneasiness about his rejection of Terra... and though he'd tried his best to reassure her the previous night, he still hadn't said a single thing that he truly wanted to say. Until Beast Boy was able to give Terra the full apology that he believed she deserved, it was going to eat away at him.

Which brought Beast Boy to another thing Cyborg was right about... he did need to get some breakfast in his stomach, and quickly. The rumbling in Beast Boy's green belly clearly indicated to both himself and Cyborg that he was extremely hungry.

"C'mon, I'll cook you up some eggs, bacon, and sausage, and I'll top it all off with a nice, tall glass of fresh cow milk," said Cyborg, smiling as he walked off down the hallway.

"Sure thing!" said Beast Boy, a smile forming on his own face as he followed his friend down the hall. It took him several seconds for his brain to register what he'd just agreed to. "Hey, wait a minute, I don't eat ANY of that stuff!"

O-O-O

Terra opened her eyes and was immediately taken aback by the bright sun invading through her window. The warm light bathed her body as she slowly withdrew from her covers... she hadn't seen the sun in nearly a year. When she'd been with Slade, she'd slept underground, only coming out to attack the Titans or the city... and as a statue, she hadn't been able to view the sun at all, at night or during the day.

It was a cathartic feeling... that after such a long, terrible night, day finally came to Terra... and for several minutes, she just sat up in her bed, admiring the sunlight and the beautiful cityscape... the skyline of the city that she'd nearly destroyed. She didn't know whether it was the brightness of the sun, or her own emotions getting the best of her, but several tears made their way down the teenage girl's face before she was finally able to climb out of bed and make her way to the closet, where clothes that she hadn't seen in months were still hanging up for her.

After changing into her familiar outfit of a black t-shirt marked with a bright yellow 'T', a pair of denim shorts, white socks, brown boots, and goggles hanging from her neck, Terra made her way to the door of her room. She'd foregone her brown gloves, choosing instead to allow her fingers to remain bare, mostly so that she could feel things that she hadn't felt in so very long. The metallic door was cool to the touch, and she could feel the air on the tips of her fingers as it quickly pulled back, allowing her access to the hallway.

"Here goes nothing..." she thought, stepping slowly across the threshold and out into the cool corridor of the Tower. She remembered everything... its smell, the sound of air quietly passing through hallways, the layout of the building... in her brief time as a Teen Titan, she'd seen so much and had been given so much...

And she'd thrown it completely away, right back into her friends' faces. Raven was right... they trusted her, they gave her everything, and she treated them like dirt. More tears began to come, but Terra held them back as she made her way to the elevator that would take her down to the main room of the tower.

Terra had been the last to wake up, just past one o'clock and an hour and a half after Starfire had made her way downstairs to the kitchen area to begin preparing lunch. Lunch had just been consumed, though Beast Boy had chosen to forgo the meal, having gotten a late start on breakfast. Inside the kitchen, Robin and Starfire were busily washing dishes together, and they were the first to see Terra as she emerged from the elevator into the main room of the tower.

"Terra!" exclaimed Starfire, dropping the plate that she was washing and quickly floating over to the blonde, who barely had time to turn before Starfire's arms were wrapped tightly around her. Terra expelled a quiet gasp as Starfire let her go, a bright smile on the young alien's face. "It is truly wonderful to see that you are awake! You have missed the meal of lunch, but if you wish I shall prepare something for-"

"It's all right, Starfire..." replied Terra, unable to manage a smile as she slowly walked toward the center of the room. "I'll just... go out and get something."

Seated in front of the television were Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg... the three of them were playing a video game together, and despite the fact that she rarely ever played, Raven was easily dominating both of her fellow Titans.

"You gotta be cheating!" shouted Cyborg as his on-screen character was gunned down by Raven's character for a fifth straight time. "You're using your powers to figure out where I am on the map, that's totally against the rules!"

"Actually, it's called radar," said Raven, pointing at the miniature image of the level map at the center of the screen that indicated exactly where all three characters were. "And when I asked if either of you wanted to play without it, you both turned me down flat."

"She's got a point there, Cyborg," said Beast Boy, just before Raven's character fragged his own with a grenade. "HEY!"

By now, Terra was standing right behind them, watching the action on the screen with a stoic look on her face. She gave a quiet sigh, remembering when she and the other Titans used to play video games together... but that seemed like an eternity ago. She began to turn away from the couch, when Beast Boy, having heard Terra's sigh, looked up and saw her starting to walk away.

"Terra?"

Beast Boy immediately threw down his controller and got up from the couch, running around to meet Terra before she could take another step. He noticed the sad look on her face and began to speak.

"It's... it's good to see you up, Terra, are you okay?"

She nodded, and gave a smile... a little smile, trying to reassure Beast Boy that she was, in fact, okay.

"I'm just a little tired, that's all..."

"Yeah," Beast Boy replied, scratching the back of his head. By now, Raven and Cyborg had paused the game, and both were very quietly watching the two standing behind their couch. "Long night last night... fighting mad scientists and all..."

Terra nodded, and even let out a small chuckle. Typical Beast Boy, trying to lighten the mood... he'd almost always been able to cheer her up, that's why she befriended him so quickly... and why she fell in love.

"I, uh... I guess I missed lunch," said Terra, pointing to the two Titans still washing dishes in the kitchen. When Starfire saw that Terra was looking her way, she gave the blonde another friendly wave, and Terra waved back. "I guess that's my fault for sleeping in so late..."

"Nah, it's fine... like I said, we all had a long night..." Beast Boy was clearly nervous, and he was stumbling over his words... and almost starting to forget what he wanted to say to Terra. Even when he did remember, it made him nervous to speak... especially when all the other Titans were nearby. He had to get the two of them out of the Tower somehow... then he could tell the girl he loved everything that she wanted to hear. "You know, I skipped lunch too, but... I'm getting kinda hungry again... maybe you and I can go out, just the two of us? Somewhere... like, um..."

Beast Boy was getting nervous again, and Terra's reaction to his offer only compounded that nervousness. She frowned and slowly shook her head.

"I'm not all that hungry, Beast Boy..." said Terra, bowing her head. "Not to mention what happened the last time you and I went out alone..."

Raven looked at both of them, and could see that both Beast Boy and Terra were extremely uncomfortable. She stood up and walked over to Terra, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You and I... we need to talk," said Raven, gesturing for Terra to come with her to a hallway just outside the room. Terra reluctantly nodded, wondering what Raven could possibly want... but knowing the history between the two of them, it probably wasn't going to be good.

As Terra followed Raven out of the room, Beast Boy stood behind the couch, his mouth agape, his hands trembling. Cyborg leaned over the back of the couch, staring at Beast Boy and wondering why Beast Boy didn't just say what he wanted to say.

"Didn't you want to tell her something?" asked Cyborg. Beast Boy nodded, but didn't say a word until both Terra and Raven were out of sight. He then turned to Cyborg, leaning up and whispering something into his friend's ear.

"...I fucked up, didn't I?" whispered Beast Boy. Cyborg had no way of answering that question... and Robin and Starfire, watching from the kitchen area, had no idea what to think.

"I have a feeling that this is going to take quite a while getting used to," said Robin, leaning up against the kitchen counter.

"I... truly believe that Terra wishes to be a member of this team," Starfire replied, though she knew that she might be the most optimistic of the bunch, even moreso than Beast Boy. "I am ready to trust her... I merely hope that she is ready to trust us."

O-O-O

Once Raven and Terra were far enough away from the main room not to be overheard, Raven turned to Terra and signaled for her to stop walking.

"Terra, I know that you probably have some serious guilt about what you did, and-"

"Stop," said Terra, extending her palm out to Raven. "Just... just stop, I know what you're going to say. You're going to tell me that I shouldn't feel bad, and that I need to make my own decision, and that everything's going to be fine, but... that doesn't undo the damage I did, Raven. I nearly destroyed the city... I tried to kill all of you... even sacrificing myself doesn't begin to atone for all that I did."

Terra turned away from Raven, bowing her head and raising her hand to her face. Once more, the tears were beginning to come, and once more, she was struggling to hold them back.

"I... I wasn't fully unconscious... when I was stone, Raven... it was like sleep... I was dreaming, I had visions... I had time to think about what I did, and... to reflect on how horrible my actions truly were."

Raven wasn't the person that Terra wanted to confess to, especially about the subject of some of the nightmarish things she'd seen while she'd been made into stone. The one person that she trusted with information like that was Beast Boy... but she felt much too guilty to have any long talks with him at the moment.

Again, Raven's hand made its way to Terra's shoulder.

"Nothing can excuse what you did, Terra... you made a conscious decision to become Slade's apprentice... you made a conscious decision to attack us and to inflict damage on the city."

"Well, that certainly doesn't make me feel any better..." thought Terra, though she knew that she deserved every harsh word that Raven had for her.

"I... I know that you didn't want anyone to realize that you didn't have control of your powers. I went through the same thing you did, Terra... it took me ten years to be able to maintain the control and focus needed for my emotionally-based energy. Ten years of studying and practicing with the monks of Azar, who took me in and taught me everything I know..."

And Raven too had kept a dark secret from her friends... the secret of her role as Trigon's portal, which nearly led to the end of the world. She'd kept that secret... but she hadn't consciously decided to betray her friends because of it. Terra, on the other hand, had plenty of opportunities to fight against Slade, even after he'd taught her how to control her powers... but she decided to become Slade's apprentice, his spy... and the Titans had nearly died because of it.

"You didn't go through anything like I did..." said Terra quietly, almost a bitter, angry quality in her voice. She took a step away from Raven, her hands briefly clenching into fists. "You never hurt anyone like I did..."

Raven couldn't put her finger on exactly what darkness lay within Terra's memories... but from the girl's emotional vibrations, she knew that Terra was hurting... hurting from a wound inflicted a very long time ago. It was this wound that most likely was the source of Terra's emotional problems... what had caused her to seek out Slade and to betray the Titans... and as long as the scars from that wound remained, Terra would never truly be at peace.

Before Raven could say another word, Terra was already halfway down the hall. She had no more words for Raven... and again was struggling to keep herself from breaking down into tears. Raven watched Terra leave, and knew that there was still work to be done before this girl could be completely trusted again.

"I know that something's hurting you, but... you can't let that control your life, and you can't let that give you any reason to hurt others," thought Raven, her eyes narrowing. "I'll be watching you..."

O-O-O

The first person that Terra spotted when she emerged back in the main room was Beast Boy, now the only person left in the room. Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg had gone off to the other parts of the Tower, and Beast Boy had stayed to wait for Terra... potentially to comfort her if Raven had said something bad to her.

She immediately walked over to Beast Boy, and her frown quickly became a smile. Maybe what she needed was some fresh air... and her conversation with Raven had made that need all too clear.

"You know what, Beast Boy... I think I will go out to lunch with you," said Terra, walking over and taking his hand in hers. Beast Boy's expression lightened up, and he had to restrain himself from letting out an excited yell.

"That's... that's great, are you sure you want to-"

"I'm definitely sure, let's go!"

The two walked toward the front of the tower, and Beast Boy couldn't help but wonder if Terra had just wanted to leave the tower to get away from Raven, or if she was just in a better mood than she'd been earlier.

For Terra, it wasn't that she wanted to get away from Raven, per se... she just needed to think, and maybe spending time with Beast Boy would help convince her that it was worth it to rejoin the Teen Titans.

After all, Beast Boy was her best friend... and she still felt that way about him now. If anyone could make Terra feel as if she was capable of doing good, it was Beast Boy... though every time she saw him, that familiar, horrible feeling of guilt began to wrench at her heart.

It was an emotional tug-of-war... with Terra's happiness as the prize.

O-O-O

The two of them went out to lunch at the pizza parlor a few blocks away, sitting together at a table on the roof, the floor of which had been painted to resemble a slice of pizza. As the two ate, Terra could feel her apprehension slowly leaving her... without any villains to fight or without Slade to manipulate her, Terra was free to remember the fun times that she and Beast Boy had had together... and this lunch was just another one of those beautiful moments.

Beast Boy was also happier... and he'd completely forgotten about the apology he'd intended to give Terra, for as the two of them exchanged light conversation, the nagging feeling that had been in Beast Boy's stomach was starting to fade. Beast Boy began telling Terra about everything that had happened while she was gone... the battles that the Titans had had with Brother Blood and with Trigon, as well as the other, lesser villains the Titans had faced.

"It seems like I missed quite a bit..." said Terra, taking a bite out of a slice of pizza. Beast Boy had ordered the pizza for both of them, and due to his aversion to milk-based cheese, the cheese on the pizza was made from soy... it didn't matter to Terra, she ate all kinds of food and was more than tolerant of Beast Boy's vegan palate. "I... I really wish I could've been there for some of those battles, BB..."

Terra's spirits were sinking again, and it was up to Beast Boy to bring her back out of her funk.

"Hey... there's plenty more villains to fight, and now that you're back, we'll have no problem kicking all their butts... um... if you're coming back, that is..."

Terra sighed and bowed her head.

"I... I know you'll have me back, Beast Boy... but what about the others? Starfire is friendly enough, she might forgive me, but... Cyborg, Robin... Raven? They haven't forgotten... and even if they do want me back, I-"

"We all want you back, Terra," said Beast Boy, reaching across the table and placing his hand on hers. "That's the truth..."

Terra gently gripped Beast Boy's hand with her fingers, using her other hand to reach for another slice of pizza. Slowly, she began to smile again.

"I... I'm just worried... what if I screw up again and hurt everyone?"

"You won't screw up, Terra... trust me, if either of us is a screw-up, it's me. Just ask Raven."

The comment managed to get another giggle out of Terra, and Beast Boy's grip tightened on her hand. He loved to see Terra happy... and the sound of her laughter was one of the most beautiful sounds he knew.

O-O-O

Across town from the pizza parlor, there was a big event taking place... Jump City Stadium, home to Jump City's beloved baseball team. The stadium was packed full, with tens of thousands of fans jammed into their seats for the first game of the season.

Sitting up in the press box, the announcer had a full view of the action, and was ready to call the game with excitement and vigor.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's a beautiful day here at Jump City Stadium, where our beloved Zeppelins are getting ready to play against the visiting Gotham Sharks. It's opening day, and all these Zeppelin fans are just waiting to see a fantastic game!"

As the players warmed up on the field, someone else was getting ready to throw the very first pitch of the season... and he wasn't the person that stadium officials were expecting to see.

"And now, here's the mayor of Jump City, ready to throw the ceremonial first pitch of the season!" called the announcer, as a man in a red, white, and blue baseball uniform strode out to the mound. Instead of the normal pinstripes that usually make up a baseball uniform, this man's outfit was different... on the front and back of his jacket was the emblem of the Union Jack... the British flag. "Uh... the mayor's looking a little bit shorter than usual..."

The man adjusted his blue baseball cap as he held a baseball in his right hand... immediately, the stadium's security guards realized that this man was not the mayor of Jump City. But by the time they started running out to remove him from the pitcher's mound, it was too late.

"Ah, baseball... the American pasttime..." said the man in the blue cap, almost spitting the word 'American' as he spoke it, his words coming in a thick, Cockney accent. "Well, that's just peachy! But it's time you Yankees leaned to appreciate a REAL sport!"

The baseball in the man's hand suddenly morphed into a bright red gem... and a long, golden cane protruded outward from it, shimmering in the light of the day. The man wasn't the mayor at all... he was, in fact, the villainous Mad Mod. As the security guards attempted to tackle him, he pointed the end of the cane at them and blasted them with a bright beam of white light. Almost instantly, the men were transformed into old-style British constables, with blue uniforms and tall blue hats. Their eyes disappeared, replaced by a swirling sea of black and white. By now, the people in the crowd had started to panic, and were attempting to flee for the exits of the stadium... but Mad Mod would have nothing of it.

"Maybe a sport like... rugby!" shouted Mad Mod, raising his cane into the air. In less than a second, the baseball stadium had been transformed into a rugby field, and the panicking fans in the stands were changed into rowdy, drunken rioters with swirling eyes similar to those of the two guards. Instead of charging for the exits, the fans began to fight amongst themselves, and Mad Mod let out a loud, evil laugh. "Now that's more like it, my duckies!"

O-O-O

Robin and Cyborg sat down on the couch in the main room of the Tower, holding bags of various snacks in their hands. After a rough battle the previous day, the two Titans were glad to be able to get some relaxation... and there was no better way to relax than by watching the local baseball team play it's opening game.

"Oh yeah, game's on!" shouted Cyborg, pointing his remote control at the television. "Now I know you're from Gotham, but in this tower, we cheer for the Zeps, you got it?"

"Gotham's won the pennant four years straight," said Robin, smirking at Cyborg as he opened a bag of potato chips. "There's no way that the Zeps are winning today."

"You take that back, man!" shouted Cyborg, more playful than angry. "This year, the Zeps are going all the way!"

But when the television flashed on, the Titans received a surprise... and knew that their relaxation would be short-lived.

O-O-O

Beast Boy had spent his entire lunch with Terra... and he still hadn't been able to bring himself to make an apology for her. That's mostly because by the time he remembered what he wanted to tell her, the two had already returned to the entrance of the Tower.

Just before Beast Boy began to speak, Terra opened the front door of the tower... and the two were met immediately by the other four Titans.

"Beast Boy, Terra, we've got trouble at Jump City Stadium," said Robin. "Mad Mod's started a riot, and we've gotta get down there before it gets completely out of control."

He looked over at Terra, his eyes meeting hers.

"Terra... I know you just came back, but... are you up for it?"

Terra barely had to think for a second before nodding her head. She still wasn't sure about whether or not she wanted to be a Titan... but the surest way she could find out was by helping them on a mission. As soon as she nodded, the six Titans piled into the T-Car, and were off to the stadium.

"I don't know how much I'll be able to help them... but if they're willing to give me a chance, then I might as well try," thought Terra as the T-Car descended into the bay and began racing toward the city.

O-O-O

The scene at the stadium was one of pure chaos. Small fires had already broken out, and the Titans could see the smoke rising up from the arena as soon as they stepped out of their T-Car. Inside, they could hear the sounds of shattering glass, shouting, cursing, and the occasional fit of laughter from Mad Mod.

"This isn't going to be easy," said Robin, his eyes fixed on the structure. "We'll need to take out Mad Mod as soon as possible... which means we'll need to drop right into the center of the stadium."

The other Titans, including Terra, knew exactly what that meant. The four Titans who could fly would have to carry the two who couldn't. Starfire lifted up Robin, while Raven lifted up Cyborg. Beast Boy transformed into a bird, and Terra levitated herself up from the ground on a piece of concrete.

"There's a lot of people in there..." thought Terra as she followed the Titans toward the center of the stadium. A feeling of dread began to enter her body, but she managed to fight it off, shaking her head and quickly clearing her thoughts. "I can do this. I have to do this... it's the only way to make up for all the trouble I've caused..."

The six Titans hovered right over the center of the stadium. Down below was Mad Mod, his hands on his hips, watching the chaos that he'd created. In the stands, the hypnotized fans were breaking up bleachers, knocking down food carts, and beating the living daylights out of one another. The Titans knew that they had to act fast, and quickly lowered themselves down in front of the British villain.

"It's over, Mod," said Robin, clenching his fist. The other Titans stood behind him, prepared to fight.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Teen Titans, here to fight for truth, justice, and the..." Before continuing his sentence, Mad Mod spat onto the ground. "American way! Well you're just a little bit too late for that, my duckies... and you're not gonna make it outta here alive!"

The six biggest, toughest-looking men from the crowd came down from the stands and stood behind Mad Mod, all of them with angry looks on their hypnotized faces. The men's clothes had been replaced with white rugby uniforms, and as they stared down the Titans, the Titans stared back, unintimidated. Mad Mod sneered as he scanned the group of Titans... and noticed that there was one among them whom he hadn't seen before.

"And who's this little girly, eh?" said Mad Mod, pointing the jeweled end of his cane in Terra's face. Terra wasn't amused, and she stomped the ground with her left foot, sending up chunks of dirt and mud from the ground in a straight line, right under Mad Mod's feet. The uplifted rock caused him to lose his balance and fall flat on his rear, causing Beast Boy to let out a quick laugh.

"Her name's Terra, and she's gonna help us kick your butt!" shouted Beast Boy, prompting Raven to glare at him. "Well, it's true..."

"The only butts that are getting kicked here are yours, Titans! I've got the six rowdiest, surliest, toughest men in the city right behind me, and you lot are about to get a taste of the roughest sport in the whole bleedin' world!"

With another bright flash from his cane, Mad Mod disappeared, and the six Titans were standing face to face with the men under Mod's hypnotic control. By now, the crowd in the stands had stopped fighting each other, and were now screaming in the stands, holding up signs that read things like 'DOWN WITH THE TITANS!' and 'IF THE TITANS WIN, WE RIOT'. Mad Mod reappeared at the side of the field, wearing a blue and red striped referee's outfit. A large, white rugby ball dropped inbetween the two groups of six, prompting Robin to pick it up.

"Mad Mod, whatever you're planning here, it's-"

Immediately, Robin found himself plowed over by all six men, who then ran past the Boy Wonder as if nothing had happened, leaving him lying face-down on the ground as one of the men carried the ball toward the other end of the field.

"ROBIN!" screamed Starfire, rushing over to her friend's seemingly-mangled body. As Starfire tended to Robin's injuries, the six men marched right down the field, dashing past the goal line. The man who had the ball spiked it to the ground, and all six men began leaping up and down in celebration, high-fiving and banging their chests against one another's.

"...I have no idea what they're doing," said Raven, "but-"

It was at that moment that Raven disappeared, and reappeared in a large, glowing cage behind the goal line past which the six large men had just crossed.

"What the heck?" shouted Cyborg, watching as Raven's hands touched the light blue bars of the cage. She let out a painful scream and collapsed to the ground, as if she had been shocked. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, did I tell you?" said Mad Mod, pointing at Raven. "Because the other team scored a goal, one of your players goes into the penalty box. The game ends when all the members of one team are in the box... at which point, kaboom! Everything and everyone in the box is completely annihilated!"

"I don't think so," said Raven, extending her arms out toward the edges of the cage. "Azarath, metreon, ZINTHOS!"

A huge blast of energy burst outward from Raven's body... and bounced back at her as soon as it hit the walls of the cage. She crumpled to the ground again with another loud cry of pain.

"That's not good..." said Beast Boy, his eyes narrowing. Robin, with Starfire's help, picked himself up from the ground and turned to Mad Mod.

"You can't do this!" shouted Robin, as the ball was once again dropped between the five remaining Titans and their six burly opponents, who had returned to their original positions at the center of the field.

Not only were the Titans in danger of being destroyed if they lost... but if they won, six of Mad Mod's innocent victims would meet an equally unfortunate end. The Titans had to do something quickly, or risk catastrophic damage to innocent lives.

"I'm about to blow the whistle, duckies! You'd better line up or you'll get scored on again!"

The crowd became rowdier and rowdier with each passing second, chanting abusive words at the five Titans who remained on the playing field.

"Maybe... maybe we should try to win," said Terra, staring across the center of the field at the six men that Mod had hypnotized. "We can't do anything to help these people if we're all trapped in Mad Mod's cage..."

"Terra's right, y'all," said Cyborg, clenching his fists and crouching down, ready to go after the ball as soon as Mod's whistle was blown. "We can think of a way to save them while we're playing..."

While Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Terra were eager to win and ensure the Titans' safety, both Robin and Starfire were reluctant about doing anything that might endanger the lives of innocent people. Mod's six hypnotized rugby players were certainly tough men, but they were no superheroes... they would be completely helpless against some of the Titans' best attacks.

Before the heroes could debate the matter any further, the whistle rang. Again, the six men charged at the ball. Beast Boy reacted quickly, changing into a fox and diving between the legs of one of the men, tackling the ball and pushing it past the row of bruisers. Once he'd cleared them, he detransformed and picked up the ball.

"Beast Boy, run!" shouted Terra, jumping up and down. "Hurry!"

Beast Boy nodded, and took off, dashing with the ball toward the opposite end of the field. Before he could get very far, a member of the opposing team hit him in the legs with a vicious chop-block, sending him quickly to the ground. The ball emerged from his hands, rolling out onto the field of play, where it was quickly picked up by one of the white-shirted men and carried down toward the Titans' goal.

Starfire, the closest of the Titans to the man with the ball, reluctantly decided to charge at him, her eyes glowing bright green. Just before she got to the man, however, he passed the ball behind him to one of his teammates, who had an open field ahead of him. The crowd cheered wildly as the man dashed toward the Titans' goal, and was soon just a few feet away from the goal line.

"I can't let any more of my team go into that box," thought Robin, firing his Birdcable at the man's leg and tripping him up just before reaching the goal. Immediately, the crowd went into an angry frenzy, throwing garbage and beer bottles in Robin's direction. As Robin was dodging the debris, Mad Mod blew his whistle, raising up a yellow card and pointing at Robin.

"Illegal use of gadgets!" shouted Mad Mod, walking out onto the field and pointing his cane at Robin. "There's no gadgets in rugby!"

"You gotta be kidding me!" shouted Cyborg, raising his hands to his forehead. Starfire immediately ran over to Mad Mod, getting in his face and poking him in the chest with her fingers.

"That was a very, VERY bad call! On my planet, we would call such an egregious miscalculation by a sporting official bozsnonkle!"

Mad Mod blew his whistle again, and this time raised a red card, pointing at Starfire.

"Swearing at an official, that's an immediate ejection from the game!"

And in less than a second, Starfire disappeared from the field and reappeared in the 'penalty box' next to Raven, who was sitting on the ground with her elbows pressed to her knees and her chin resting on her hands. She glared at Starfire before refocusing her attention to the ground, letting out a long sigh.

"This can't be happening..." thought Raven, hoping that her four friends would find some way to overcome Mad Mod's completely unfair home-field advantage.

Mad Mod took the rugby ball in his hands and walked to the center of the field, where the six men wearing white uniforms lined up in two rows, linking arms with one another and forming a box-like structure behind the ball, which Mod had just set down onto the field.

"Since Robin used his gadgets, I'm gonna call a scrum, so you Titans hook arms like these blokes are doin' and we'll restart play."

"This is ridiculous..." thought Robin, linking arms with Cyborg and lining up in front of Beast Boy and Terra, who had already linked arms and were looking one another in the eye, trying to psyche each other up for this important play.

"We can't let them score another goal," said Beast Boy, staring down across the field at Mad Mod's team. "If they do, we'll be outnumbered by... um..."

"Two-to-one?" said Terra, finishing Beast Boy's sentence. He quickly nodded, and Terra returned her focus to the six men now charging forward at the four remaining Titans, shifting the ball back and forth between them as they shuffled their legs. The Titans charged forward, headlong into the group of six men, and arms and legs began to fly as the two groups scrambled for possession of the ball. For several seconds, the ball became lost in the middle of the scrum, but suddenly, the ball shot into the air as if blown by a geyser. A pocket of dirt in the middle of the scrum had been uplifted, knocking the ball up, where Beast Boy was easy able to get it by changing into a gorilla and jumping into the air. He picked up the ball and charged out of the crowd of men, dashing again toward the goal line of Mad Mod's team. All six of Mod's men gave pursuit, but gorilla Beast Boy was far too strong, and none of the men could bring him down, even by grabbing onto him and pulling with all their might.

"Take this, Mad Mod!" thought Beast Boy as he lumbered toward the goal line. Terra cheered him on, cupping her hands around her mouth as she shouted encouragement at him from across the field.

"Take it all the way, Beast Boy! WHOOOO!"

Beast Boy's charge was stopped inches from the goal line by Mad Mod's whistle, a piercing sound that stopped the gorilla in his tracks and caused him to turn around.

"Foul! Foul! Gorillas can't play rugby!"

And in the distraction, one of the men managed to smack the ball out of Beast Boy's hands. Now, all six men were again charging toward the other end of the field, passing the ball back and forth.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Cyborg, tackling one of the men just as he was about to receive a pass. The ball sailed past him and nearly out of bounds, before Robin did a flying leap and snared in the ball, passing it backward to Terra, standing in front of the Titans' goal line.

"Run, Terra!" shouted Robin, pointing toward the other end of the field. Terra began to run, but the only thing she saw in front of her were six bodies, rapidly coming her way. In her panic, she looked for someone to pass to, but found no one behind her... and she knew from her brief stay in Australia that one isn't allowed to pass the ball forward in rugby. She crouched to the ground and bowed her head... and the entire stadium began to shake. The six men coming toward her, and everyone in the crowd were knocked off their feet. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were able to remain standing, but their attention was immediately drawn to Terra, who suddenly found herself unable to stop the quake she'd created.

"Oh no..." thought Terra, glancing around the stadium and noticing that the pillars holding up the bleachers were beginning to crack. "If I don't stop this, everyone in the stadium will be...!"

She didn't even want to think of what lay at the end of that sentence... and even Mad Mod, who had also been knocked to the ground by the force of the jolting, was a bit terrified by this power that Terra was showing.

"Hey! Hey! There's definitely no earthquakes in rugby! You stop this right now!"

Terra looked wide-eyed around the stadium, as the screams of its hypnotized occupants in the stands began filling her head. Even with their minds controlled by Mad Mod, the people in the stands were still fearful of dying, and the severe jolt that was shaking the stadium was enough to make anyone think of their own mortality.

"Terra, the men are down, you can stop now..." said Beast Boy, looking over at Terra with concern, having no idea that she was again losing control of her own powers. "Terra?"

"I don't think she can stop it, BB!" shouted Cyborg, his own worry and terror beginning to grow. "Robin, you gotta do something!"

"Terra, you have to calm down! If you calm down, the shaking will stop! Just..."

"I can't!" shouted Terra, rebuking Robin's advice and rising to her feet. She clenched her fists and began to tremble, tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. "He's right... I have to calm down... just... just remember what Beast Boy said... I have a choice... I always have a choice... I can control this... this isn't... this isn't beyond my control..."

Slowly, as Terra began to breathe, the shaking subsided. A few seconds later, the shaking completely stopped. Almost immediately, the crowd again began to boo, and this time, threw things at Terra instead of Robin. She crouched down as beer bottles and food rained upon her, covering her head and occasionally offering a quiet sob. The rugby ball lay on the field next to her, and Mod's six men immediately rushed over and picked it up, dashing across the goal line for an easy score.

"Terra..." thought Beast Boy, quickly dashing over to comfort the girl who was crouched down on the ground. Cyborg attempted to follow him, but immediately disappeared and reappeared in the penalty box with Starfire and Raven.

"Damn," said Cyborg quietly, looking at Terra through the glowing bars of the penalty box. "I just hope she'll be okay..."

Beast Boy wrapped his arms around Terra, pressing his face gently to hers and using his hands to wipe the tears from her cheeks. She didn't move at first, but slowly picked herself up, leaning on Beast Boy as she rose from the ground.

"Beast Boy..." Terra sniffled, rubbing her hand across the front of her nose. She was still shaking slightly, terrified that she'd almost destroyed the stadium and the people inside it with her powers... which she thought she had almost complete control over. "I-"

"You stopped the shaking, Terra..." Beast Boy replied, looking into her eyes. "You... you didn't hurt anyone... it's all right..."

Robin observed the two from near the center of the field, occasionally shooting a worried glance over to the penalty box, where three of his friends now anxiously paced, their only hope being that the others manage to pull through.

"Can we please get this show on the road? The crowd is restless, especially after blondie over there nearly shook them to death," said Mad Mod, pointing with his cane toward Terra and Beast Boy. Terra looked up and shot Mad Mod a glare of hatred before turning to Beast Boy, hands tightly gripping his.

"We... we have to do this," said Terra, in as determined a voice as she could muster. "We have to stop him..."

Beast Boy nodded, and walked back with Terra toward the center of the field, where Robin and Mod's six men were waiting for them.

"It's gonna be all right, Terra..." Beast Boy whispered to her, trying to encourage his blonde friend as much as he could. "We just... we just have to concentrate on winning this game and helping our friends and all these people..."

The whistle blew, and Mod's six men rushed forward again, one of them picking up the ball and dashing out in front of the others. Robin faced down the man with the ball and jumped into the air, striking the man in the face with a kick that knocked him flat on his back. The ball flew out of his hand and into the hands of another white-shirted man, who was able to run a few steps before Beast Boy headbutted him in the stomach and forced the ball from his hand. The ball flew into the air, and another of the white-shirted men, flanked by three others, got up under it, their hands in the air.

"All right..." thought Terra, her knees wobbling as she stared at the four men under the ball. "You can use your powers to stop these guys... just... just keep it under control..."

Another earthquake shook the field, but this one lasted for less than a second, and was localized completely under the four men who were going for the ball. All of them fell to the ground, and the ball landed in the hands of Robin, who leaped over the downed men and charged toward the opposite end, toward Mad Mod's goal line. One of Mod's men leaped out in front of him, so he quickly passed the ball to Beast Boy, a few feet behind him and to his left. Beast Boy caught the ball and made a mad dash straight for the goal line, with nothing but open field ahead of him.

Inside the penalty box, Cyborg and Starfire could see Beast Boy running toward the goal, and jumped into the air, furiously clapping their hands in encouragement. Raven, sitting on the ground and being her typical, sarcastic self, simply twirled her hand in the air a couple of times.

"Yay," she said, in a completely monotone voice. Beast Boy continued to run, and was just a few feet from the goal line... when suddenly, out of nowhere, a naked man charged into Beast Boy, tackling him hard to the ground and knocking the ball from his hands. The naked man got off of Beast Boy and began running around the field, making strange noises and pumping his fists in the air.

"MAD MOD! MAD MOD! MAD MOD!" shouted the naked man, his chest and back bearing a tattoo of the British flag. Robin and Terra watched the man in shock and disgust, completely ignoring the members of Mod's team, who picked up the ball and carried it into the Titans' goal.

"You have got... to be kidding me..." Robin said, his mouth open in shock as he watched the streaker dash across the field and leap back into the crowd, exchanging high-fives with his rowdy friends. Before Robin could say anything else, he disappeared and reappeared in the penalty box, still in shock from what he had seen.

Beast Boy and Terra were equally shocked... and that shock quickly became replaced with anger when they realized what Mad Mod had done.

"That's a tough break, but you know what they say about British sports fans... they're the best fans in the whole bloody world, am I right?" shouted Mad Mod, prompting an enormous cheer from the crowd.

Now it was two on six... the Titans were just two goals away from being eradicated by Mad Mod's twisted machinations. Beast Boy and Terra walked slowly to their goalline, neither of them looking even remotely sure that they were going to win.

"This has gotten bad... really bad," said Beast Boy, shaking his head. "I have no idea how we're gonna beat these guys!"

"It was me who suggested trying to beat them in the first place..." Terra replied sadly. "If the blame should go on anyone for this, it's me."

"Terra, are you kidding me?" replied Beast Boy, his eyes widening. "There's no one to blame for this... we're a team, remember? We win as a team, and we lose as a team... we don't just go around looking for people to blame, that's not what teams do!"

Beast Boy was right... Terra had been blaming herself for everything, but if she wanted to be a Teen Titan, she would have to realize that a team shares equal responsibility for both victory and defeat. The roar of the crowd nearly drowned out Terra's thoughts, but her mind was racing anyway... racing as quickly as it ever had before.

"They trust me... after all I've done, they trust me..."

Terra still felt enormous guilt, but that guilt wasn't helping her now. The only thing that was important now was defeating Mad Mod and saving the Titans and all the people in the stadium... and it was going to be up to Terra and Beast Boy to do it. Beast Boy looked over at Terra, his eyes narrowed, a look of pure determination on her face.

"Terra... are you ready to-"

"Let's finish this."

As soon as Terra spoke, the whistle rang again, and Mod's six men came charging down the field toward the Titans' goalline, running in a tight formation with one of the men slightly in front, the ball in his hands.

"Beast Boy, I have an idea!" shouted Terra, pointing straight at the lead man in the six-man crowd. "You change into any animal that can put him on the ground, then go right at him!"

Beast Boy nodded, transforming into an elephant and running toward the crowd of men, which immediately broke off into a wide, spread-out formation. As soon as elephant Beast Boy was close, one of the men passed off the ball to one of his teammates out of Beast Boy's path. The ball never got there, for it was intercepted by a leaping Terra, who caught the ball in her hands and dashed toward the opposing goalline.

"This time, nobody's catching up," said Terra, looking behind her to see all six men now giving chase as she ran toward the goal. With a smile, she nodded her head, and an enormous wall of rock burst up in the middle of the field in front of the six men, causing them to smack into it and blocking them off from catching Terra, who ran to the end of the field and scored an easy goal. As soon as she was past the goalline, the wall dropped, revealing six downed men in the center of the field. Six quickly became five as the man on the very right disappeared and reappeared in a penalty box on the goalline opposite from where the Titans were being held.

"You can't do that!" shouted Mad Mod, angrily jumping up and down on the sidelines. With a smile, Terra tossed him the ball.

"I just did," replied Terra, giving Beast Boy a high five as the two met near the center of the field. The four Titans in the penalty box, including Raven, all cheered, loud enough to be heard over the raucous and angry crowd in the stands.

"Now just do that five more times and Mad Mod will really be in trouble!" shouted Cyborg. With an angry cry, Mad Mod threw the ball back out onto the field and blew his whistle.

This time, Terra got to the ball first, and before any of the men could get to her, she raised a tall platform of rock under her feet, lifting her high into the air and out of reach of any of her opponents. She created several more platforms in front of her, creating an aerial path straight to the goalline. After the path was made, it was just a matter of leaping from rock to rock until she was safely past the goal. Another of Mod's men disappeared, and Terra gracefully lowered herself to the ground.

"That... that's completely illegal!" shouted Mad Mod, pointing the gem of his cane angrily at Terra. "I'm warning you, ducky... any more tricks like that and I'll throw you into the penalty box! I swear it!"

Terra simply laughed, giving Beast Boy another high five as the ball was once again thrown out into the center of the field. The blonde was getting her powers clearly under control... and what's more, she was having fun helping the Titans defeat a villain. Her guilt was still there, but at least temporarily, it had been replaced by excitement... as well as happiness. She could see Beast Boy smiling at her, and for a moment, even the traumatic earthquake experience just a few minutes ago was temporarily forgotten.

The men, now only four in number, rushed toward the ball with ferocity... ferocity that turned to terror when Beast Boy transformed into a t-rex and stood in front of the ball, letting out a loud roar. In the face of such a fearsome creature, even the burliest, toughest of men will cower, and they ran to either side of the field, clearing a path for Terra to take the ball to the goal a third time.

Mad Mod angrily rung his referee's uniform in his hands as yet another member of his team was placed in the penalty box. The crowd was growing more and more restless, and some of the objects that were thrown from the field even hit Mad Mod in the head, just serving to make him even more angry.

"I've gotta finish this..." thought Mad Mod, holding the rugby ball in his hands. "My team... it's coming unglued, my plan to take out the Titans is all going to pot! Well, no more, it's time for them to see what true madness is like!"

Instead of rolling the ball back onto the field, Mad Mod instead turned to the ground... and popped the ball with the end of his cane.

"This game's been canceled on account of cheaters!" shouted Mad Mod, pointing his cane at the penalty box that contained the three trapped men on his own team and making the box vanish, freeing the men. When the crowd heard that the game had been canceled, they went into an even bigger frenzy, and more objects were tossed onto the field. Beast Boy and Terra, standing right in the center, stood together and wondered what Mad Mod could possibly be doing... while the other Titans huddled in the penalty box, helpless to do anything. "You wanna blame someone? Blame THOSE TWO!"

Mad Mod pointed his cane at Terra and Beast Boy, and immediately, members of the crowd began charging onto the field. An all-out stampede had begun. Mod, having safely transported himself to the press box, had the best seat in the house as the stampeding crowd rushed toward Terra and Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy, what do we do?" shouted Terra, her eyes widening as the crowd drew closer. "We can't... we can't attack them, so-"

"Now it's my turn to have an idea," said Beast Boy, transforming into a condor and picking up Terra in his talons, lifting the two of them off of the ground just before they would have been trampled. Beast Boy flew with Terra up to the press box and crashed through the window, causing the two of them to land in a heap at Mad Mod's feet. "Unnh... maybe that wasn't such a good idea..."

"You're damn right it wasn't a good idea!" shouted Mad Mod, pointing his cane right at Terra and Beast Boy. "And now, the two of you are-"

It was then that Terra smashed the gem at the end of Mod's cane, using a rock that she'd levitated into her hand while she and Beast Boy had been in the air. Mad Mod gasped and stumbled back, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. In almost an instant, Mod's red hair shrunk and turned gray, while his arms and legs became weak and withered. The now elderly supervillain stumbled toward the back of the press box, while Terra stood stunned, still holding the rock in her hand.

"...if I'd have known that that would actually worked, I probably would've done it sooner..." said Terra, dropping the rock onto the ground. She turned to Beast Boy, who had an equally stunned, but far more ecstatic look on his face.

"Terra, that was awesome!" shouted Beast Boy, wrapping his arms tightly around Terra's back. Terra returned the hug quickly, and as the two embraced, Mad Mod attempted to leave by sneaking out through the press box door.

He was quickly blocked by Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven, who'd been freed from the penalty box as soon as Mod's gem had been smashed.

"I pretty much assume that you're going to come quietly," said Raven, prompting a meek nod from the now-elderly villain.

Down on the field, which was once again a baseball field, the people whom just moments ago had been rioting and stampeding now stood bewildered on the dirt and grass, wondering just how in the world they'd gotten down on the field in the first place.

One of the people on the field was particularly bewildered... and for a very good reason.

"WHY AM I NAKED!"

O-O-O

Back at Titans Tower, the Titans had all gathered in the main room... Terra had something important to say, and, though she didn't know it, Robin and the others had something important to say to her.

She stood in front of them as they gathered on the couches and chairs facing her... after all that had happened that day, Terra knew that she had to say something that she'd never gotten the chance to say to them before. After she'd decided to attack Slade, everything had happened so quickly... she never got to tell her friends that she was sorry for betraying them.

"...I just... I just want to thank you... thank you for everything you've done for me, even though I don't deserve it," said Terra, looking into the eyes of each and every Titan in the group... Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven... and especially Beast Boy. "I betrayed all of you, and... and there's nothing I can do that is sufficient to earn your trust again. I just want to say that... that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."

"Terra... we have already forgiven you," said Starfire, standing up and smiling at Terra. "You have proven that you are truly a good person, and... though you have made mistakes... so have the rest of us. We are just grateful that you are safe... and that you are here with us again."

"Starfire's right, Terra..." said Cyborg, also standing up and looking at Terra. "Not just today, but... what you did back there, to stop that volcano from destroying the city... you could have left with us, but you didn't. Only a true hero could've done something like that, Terra..."

Robin then stood up and walked over to Terra, his right hand held behind his back.

"You don't need to feel guilty anymore, Terra... I think I speak for all of us when I say, welcome back to the team."

And with that, Robin pulled out a Titan communicator... holding it out for Terra to take. She gasped and widened her eyes, staring at it for several seconds.

"I... I..."

"Terra..." Beast Boy raised his head and looked at her, giving her a smile. Terra looked at him, then back at Robin.

"I... I couldn't control my powers, even today, I-"

"We're here... we're all here to help you, Terra," said Robin, as sincerely as he could. "If you need any help... that's what we're here for. We're all friends here, and we're all out to help one another as best we can. I give you my word as a Teen Titan that if you need anything, any training, anyone to talk to... we're all here for you."

After several more seconds, Terra reached out with her trembling hand and slowly took the communicator, pulling it close to her and looking at Robin again.

"I... I promise you, I won't let you down. Not you, or Starfire, or Cyborg, or Raven, or Beast Boy..."

Terra took one last look at the communicator, and then clipped it to her waist, still maintaining a nervous look in her eyes.

"I... I hope I just made the right decision..."

O-O-O

And while a meeting of the Titans was taking place in Titans Tower, another, far more sinister meeting was taking place on the 58th floor of the Mycoso Building, where the remaining four members of the cabal that had planned Project Shattered Earth were now regrouping and reforming their plans to gain money and power from the destruction of Jump City.

Frederick Dullahan sat in his familiar place at the head of the table, while the faithful Sedaris stood to his right, his hands together at his waist. Seated at the first seat on the left of the table was Jarvin Sr., who, for some reason, looked much less nervous than he had been just three days earlier, despite the fact that the group's plans had taken a turn for the worse. Jarvin Jr. also looked confident, though not nearly as much so as his father.

"The Crisis Crystal is gone, gentlemen... Project Shattered Earth is officially a massive failure."

Dullahan's voice contained no sign of alarm... no sadness, or anger... it was neutral, as if he were simply stating a fact. Which is exactly what he happened to be doing.

"We did manage to recover the quantum computer, intact, from the site," continued Dullahan, a sly smile on his face. "It seems that the Titans, in their excitement over their friend's return, forgot to take it... and the thief seems to have had a serious lapse in the head, or a sudden attack of conscience. Whatever the reason, we still have the prototype computer. Either way, the computer simply makes our task a bit easier... and yes, gentlemen, our task remains. Project Shattered Earth has failed, but our mission... our mission is alive and well. If there's one thing I've learned in my thirty years of business, it's that you must always have a contigency plan... which brings me to you, Nicholas. You've been working with people at your company LaredoSoft for the past week now, carefully gathering the pieces we need for our new project... am I correct?"

"You are absolutely correct," replied Jarvin Sr., a confident smile remaining on his face. "I honestly didn't think I'd be needed quite as much as I am today... but that doesn't mean I didn't prepare, just in case."

Jarvin Sr., was of course, the understudy to Ruell's lead character... should Ruell fail to perform his duties, the understudy would have to step in... and Nicholas Jarvin was ready to give a command performance.

"In just a few days, I will have the city on its knees," said Jarvin Sr., his steely gaze fixed toward Dullahan. "Project Trembling Heaven is about to begin."

O-O-O

The night sky bathed the roof of Titans Tower with a faint, beautiful glow, the stars and moon mixing with the light provided by the city skyline to give the Tower a radiant elegance that couldn't be achieved during the day.

Terra sat on the roof, her feet dangling over the side, looking down at the Titan communicator she held in her hand. Just twenty-four hours removed from being a statue, they trusted her enough to put her on the team again... but this time, she truly was ready to be a hero, and not just a mole planted by Slade.

It still terrified her... what had almost happened in the stadium that day. Thousands, tens of thousands could've been killed if Terra hadn't managed to reign in her powers, quite possibly at the last second. She stared at her reflection in the blank screen of the communicator... and noticed that she was about to tear up again.

She reached up to instinctively brush the tear away when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder... she looked up and saw Beast Boy, smiling down at her. Quickly closing her communicator, she rose to her feet and clipped it to her waist before turning to Beast Boy, her hands at her sides. The changeling could immediately tell that Terra wasn't in the highest of spirits.

"Terra... you saved every person in that stadium today... including all of the Titans," said Beast Boy. "Robin said he'd do everything he could to help you... and so am I, Terra. I won't... I won't let anything bad happen to you..."

Terra knew Beast Boy would try to cheer her up... but it wasn't that she was sad... she was afraid, afraid that she might hurt someone, afraid that the would hurt the Titans again... that she would hurt Beast Boy again.

And then, Beast Boy remembered that he had hurt her.

"Terra... it's my fault... it's my fault you ended up going with Slade-"

"Are you kidding, Beast Boy?" Terra replied, bowing her head sadly. "I chose to follow him, I chose to be his apprentice and to betray you... and-"

"Terra..."

Beast Boy's hand gently went to the girl's chin, lifting it up so that her eyes met his. She tried to turn her head away, but he gently kept her focused on him... he had something to say, and he was going to say it now... no matter what.

"When you asked me if I would still be your friend, even if you told me something horrible... I said yes... and then... then when I found out about you being with Slade, I..."

Now Beast Boy was the one beginning to tear up, and Terra could see the guilt clearly present on Beast Boy's face.

"Beast Boy, you were right to-"

"NO, Terra... I wasn't. When you trusted in me... when you were afraid, and lonely, and even though Slade had ordered you to come with him, you still weren't sure... it was then that I told you that you didn't have any friends... and that... that's what made you go to him, Terra..."

Beast Boy was right... and Terra knew it. She was ready to turn her back on Slade... to go back with the Titans and to try to earn their trust again... but when Beast Boy turned his back on her, she was crushed... and it was the final straw that turned her completely over to Slade.

Nothing that Terra could say was going to convince Beast Boy that it hadn't been entirely his fault that she'd gone over to Slade... just like there was nothing Beast Boy could say that would convince Terra she wasn't a horrible person for joining him.

But they could both try... and maybe, just maybe, with each other's support and love... they could find a way to mend all the wounds of their past.

"I just wish... I just wish there was a way to go back to that Ferris wheel..." said Beast Boy sadly, looking up into the sky. "Just like... all of this never happened..."

"Maybe... maybe there is a way," said Terra, gently reaching up and placing her hand behind Beast Boy's head. He lowered his face to look into her eyes... and that's when she leaned toward him, her eyes beginning to close. Slowly, Beast Boy closed his eyes as well, and wrapped his arms around Terra's back.

And with the light of the moon and the stars shining upon them, Beast Boy and Terra completed on the roof of Titans Tower the kiss they'd begun on that Ferris wheel nearly a year before.

O-O-O

Okay, I KNOW some fans are gonna be pissed with this chapter... and I don't mean BbxRae fans. I'm talking about Red X fans! I definitely know a certain VERY faithful reviewer who's not gonna be too happy with this completely Sanza-less chapter... I hope you like this chapter anyway, while assuring all of Red X's fans that there won't be another chapter like this the rest of the way... or will there? Heheheheheh... actually, Red X fans are gonna LOVE the next chapter, I promise all of you more of the costumed thief than you can handle!