Teen Titans
Fragile Dreams
A/N Wow, this one is long…
Well, first of all... WE HIT 150 REVIEWS! THANK YOU, REVIEWERS! This means you all get a sequel to this. Aren't you lucky? But seriously... WOW! All you reviewers literally blew my socks off! Thank you for everything! 19 reviews! I think that's my new record!
TheDisruptiveOne - I'm glad you enjoying yourself. Yeah... perhaps things will get messy quickly... but you'll have to wait until Monday to find out! P.
DarkBird1345 - Thanks for reading! I usually update once every 2 or three days, but since this is AP week, I'm a little slow. I almost always say at the end of any chapter when the nextchapter will be up, though.
Raerob4eva - We already talked D. Rating has gone up to M now... just to be safe. And to keep options open.
I'm a free spirit - I like the name D. Glad you enjoy reading it... and ironically, your review insured that I WILL keep it up, because you're my 150th reviewer! Hurray! You just guaranteed everyone a sequel! Be proud!
Lenarta - I'm really glad you're enjoying it, and thanks for the detailed review. I know I've been a little slacking on the interactions between the guys, but that will get remedied... there just hasn't really been an appropriate place for it yet. I wish you luck finding other real rewrites of the series, but don't get your hopes too far up. One of the reasons I wrote this is that I wanted to see this type of thing done and couldn't find anyone doing it.
Raven and Nightwolf - Ummm... why would I mind that? D. I'm thrilled! Unfortunately, you still have a little bit of a wait before Birthmark... but I promise it'll be worth the wait... D. I wish TT was updated more often also, but you don't have to worry about that with me: I always post up at the end of every chapter when the next chapter will be posted.
lolopixie - yeah, they certainly did, and yes they certainly are. As always, I'm glad you enjoy it, and thanks for your reviews!
raggedywings - Well, you're not really supposed to like Shimmer... she's a little bit of a bitch, yes? That said; she's a vital character for reasons that will become clear. Plus... she probably at least an even match for Jynx.
Reggie Tuesday - Well, that does sound depressing. Unfortunately, I can't claim credit for Shimmer; she was a character from the comics. I CAN, however, say that I invented her character and her behavior/interactions, because she was probably one of the least developed characters to ever been written about in more than one issue of a comic.
Linnath - Heh... you got your wish. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Evilsangel - Well, I can't quite agree with you on Terra because I really like her, but thanks fine with me. I hope I manage to change your mind about her further as I developed her more, because she is sorta a pivotal character in the story. Well, it seems you at least probably got the pairings right... Rob/Rae is the pairing of the story, BB/Terra has been heavily implied so far (next chapter it might become much more set in stone) and potential for Cy/Jynx seems to exist... perhaps only one way? Or was Cyborg's depression when talking to Starfire during "All that Shimmers," also a reference to Jynx?Me to know, and you to figure outD.
Blaze-Firestorm - Well, first of all, Terra DID come back during Titan Rising and not Aftershock, and I showed just the very beginning of the next chapter/episode in the volleyball scene at the end of the interlude. But yeah, I mess with the timeline of the story a LOT. For example, in the series, both Aftershocks are long over and done with before we ever meet Brother Blood. Episodes are very commonly skipped or rearranged from the continuity of the TV show. So, I guess short answer is yes, I did change when Terra both disappeared and reappeared.
Zaire - Well, it's Thursday! Enjoy!
Finalitylife - Yeah, nothing would ever be simple for them, would it? Yeah, things are going to get quite interesting. And I'm glad you feel sorry for Jynx, because that means I'm succeeding... I want to you feel sorry for her: at least as compared to Shimmer.
Siren's Call - Name is as awesome as ever, and I'm glad you like my rewrite of that communiqué scene... I agree; it seems more real.
Darkofthenight - Hmmm... I'll take it under consideration D.
Water81- Again, you leave me with nothing to say I haven't already said. About BB though... did you see Troq the other day? THAT'S the difference between Beast Boy and Changeling.
Unforseen - Thank for the high praise. I hope Terra wont disappoint D.
King Cheetah - Oh, we will... we will...
Welcome back into the Terra arc! Yeah, this is the harbinger of more BB/Terra action. What effect will this have on Rob and Rae?
I will warn everyone… the focus of the next few episodes is definitely not on Raven and Robin. They're still pretty heavily considered (the story is about them, after all) but these next few are definitely developing Beast Boy and Terra more than anything else, and what's going on between Raven and Robin is going to sit on the back burners for a bit while Raven tries to figure out how to gain enough control. This means there is going to be a lot of BB POV and some Terra POV, more than there is Robin or Raven POV.
LASTLY... did anyone see Troq? Man, I thought that episode was really lack luster... except for Beast Boy. Woah... he FINALLY uses his power effectively. I think we just saw the bridge between Beast Boy andChangeling.
Wow... that was an amazingly long Authors Note, before an amazingly long chapter... almost 16 pages on my word processor.
NEXT CHAPTER ON MONDAY!
Disclaimer - Think about it. If I owned Teen Titans, I wouldn't need to be rewriting the show, now would I?
Fragile Dreams Chapter 17 - Titan Rising
"TERRA!" Starfire and Beast Boy yelled together, rushing the blond teen as soon as she stepped off of her stone platform and onto the roof. Starfire reached her first, pulling the girl into a bone crushingly tight hug. "Welcome back, friend! You remember me, yes?"
Terra gasped, pushing futilely against Star's tight grip. "Of course, Starfire... I still have bruises from the last time you hugged me." Starfire finally realized that Terra probably couldn't breath, and backed off.
"Terra! I thought I'd never..." Beast boy moved to hug her, but then self-consciously realized what he was about to do and stopped, extending a hand to her. "I mean, it's great to see..." he nervously pulled the hand back and rubbed the back of his head, shuffling his feet around." Errr... What's up?"
Terra just smiled, pulled BB into a hug, and kissed him on the cheek. "Good to see you again, too." Beast Boy practically melted in her arms.
"Welcome back, Terra," Robin said as he walked with Cyborg.
Terra let go of Beast Boy and turned to the Titan leader. "Robin, Cyborg, what's shakin?" she said lightly, punching Robin playfully in the shoulder.
"It's good to see you again."
BB interposed himself between Terra and Robin. "Is he KIDDING! It's GREAT to see you again! I thought I'd NEVER see you again!" BB took her by the hand and dragged her over to Raven. "Hey Raven! Look who's back!"
Now that BB mentioned it, Robin noticed the beautiful empath stillhadn't risen from her lotus position. As far as he could tell, she hadn't even opened her eyes. One of her eyebrows came up, and she glanced first at him, then at Terra and BB before closing it again. "Awesome," she said unexcitedly, "Just help yourself to anything in the fridge, and don't forget to lock the door when you leave." Robin could hear the unspoken 'again.'
Terra smiled. "Actually, I don't think I'm going to leave again. I'm ready to take you up on your offer to stay. I want to be a Teen Titan."
Now Raven rose to her feet. Robin and the rest of the Titans looked away from Terra and fidgeted with whatever they could find to look busy. An uncomfortable silence fell over the group until Terra noticed everyone's discomfiture. "Sorry," she said sarcastically, "I didn't know the offer had an expiration date." She turned back towards the tower edge where her platform was still waiting.
Robin laid a hand on the slim girl's shoulder, stopping her. "The offer didn't expire, Terra..."
As soon as Terra stopped pushing forward, Robin saw BB step in front of her. He probably desperate to keep her from leaving again. "Yeah...it's just that... well, last time you were..."
"You didn't have control over your powers," Raven stated simply, making BB jump a little from her directness. Even Robin thought she could have been a little more tactful. Then again, he figured he didn't have any right to complain: the way she was acting was probably his fault.
'She hasn't spoken to me outside of everyone else's presence since I kissed her. She must be really pissed at me… what the hell was I thinking?' Robin berated himself. 'How could I be so stupid? I just lost the only chan…'
Robin's thoughts were interrupted by Terra's response. "Well, duh! Where do you think I've been the last month? Practicing!" She jovially ran to the edge of the tower. "Check this out!" she cried as she dove off the edge. The Titans rushed to the edge to see her just as she came soaring upward on a flying platform of solid stone, followed by three others like cars on a train. The titan-hopeful began doing a dazzling aerial acrobatic routine with her four platforms.
"Wow!" Beast Boy exclaimed as Terra whipped by the top of the tower, the just flowing Raven's hood off her face. "She really has gotten better."
"She learned a few new tricks," Robin heard Raven correct him and she pulled her hood back over her head. "That doesn't mean that she's gotten any less dangerous." Robin disagreed, at least slightly. He had to admit that he was impressed by Terra's growth, and in only a short month. If she really could control her powers now, she'd make an ideal addition to the Titans.
'Raven will come around,' he figured. 'It just isn't in her nature to trust easily.'
'…and I just really hope I haven't lost that trust.'
Terra was moving in for her finale right now, the four rocks converging at a point right above the tower roof. Terra leapt off and onto the tower right before they rocks would have collided, and her hands glowed gold as she pushed them into a steep vertical climb. Finally, she imploded the four rocks with her powers far above the ground, causing them to detonate in a brilliant white sunburst.
Cyborg, BB, and Starfire cheered, and Robin had to smile. Terra was just about to bow when suddenly the earth trembled, causing the tower to shake a little as the dull rumbling sound resonated around them. Raven gave Terra a withering glare, and the shaman seemed to shrink under its force. "Uh… it wasn't me!" she said, throwing up her arms in an "I'm innocent" expression. Suddenly, the alarm went off. Robin met the Titans' looks one by one, and then they all rushed down to the control room. Terra followed them.
Terra looked over at Raven. "See? I told you it wasn't me!" Raven just shrugged, unapologetic.
"Man, that's a lot of earthquakes," Cyborg said, "Too many to be natural."
"That's because they aren't earthquakes. They're a trail." Robin said while tapping the keyboard. A new diagram of the quakes came up, showing them clearing forming in a curving line through the city. "Something it moving under the surface."
Beast Boy punched into his own hand. "And it's our job to find it and teach it a lesson." Terra gave a little smile at how cute he was while trying to act all tough. Despite herself, and what he did to her, she couldn't help but like the youngest Titan.
"Right. Titans, GO!" Cyborg yelled, and he ran out of the room towards the car. Beast Boy and Starfire followed him out, and Robin and Raven moved together towards the door before Robin stopped and turned back.
"Are you coming?" As he asked, Raven turned around also and looked at the slim shaman.
Terra couldn't believe her ears. "Does this mean I'm on the team?" she asked, her eyes sparkling at the prospect.
Robin, however, shook his head. "It means we could use your help." Terra shrugged: that was good enough for now. She smiled, nodded, and ran for the door, brushing past Raven slightly as she went. She noticed Raven's eyes open wide, but paid no attention to the hostile girl.
When Terra touched her, Raven's empathy went nuts. Visions streamed through her head faster than she could remember them, let alone process them. Thousands of images, memories, thoughts, and feelings… anything floating around loose flowed out of Terra and into Raven's soul self, along with fragments of her very essence. Raven saw pieces of the past, present, and future… all at once, flowing chaotically around her as she tried to find something to hold onto in the churning sea of images. Visions manifested themselves before her, always from varying perspectives: sometimes from her own, sometimes from Terra's, sometimes from someone else's that she couldn't identify, and sometimes from no one's… Raven didn't know how she was seeing it, she just was.
Terra, crying, running away from a city with a backpack on, chased by hundreds of people with burning torches, her tattered clothing and unkempt hair shaking as she sobbed and ran. A locket with a picture of her with two adults, a man and a woman, fell to the ground…
Terra wearing a pair of shorts with a black hoodie, her eyes glowing furiously as she threw stone after stone at a pink haired girl who blasted them out of the way as they came. A shadowy figure with crimson eyes floated above, and Robin pushed Terra out of the way…
Terra trapped in the middle of a vortex of stone, swirling around her as the entire cavern shook. Beast Boy was there too, shouting to her from the ground. He lost his hold on the ground and floated up to her…
Terra fighting against Cyborg and Robin in hand to hand. She fluidly dodged every blow and struck back with perfect coordination, sending Robin and Cyborg flying backwards. A rock wall came up between Robin and Terra, leaving the shaman and Cyborg alone…
Terra standing alone amid falling rocks and machinery, wearing the same black Titan shirt she was now, straining desperately to push against something with her powers…
Terra's face just inches away from her, her eyes glowing with fury as she laughed…
Terra's first meeting with the Titans on the rock ledge, as she pointed to each of the Titans one by one…
Terra and her each pulling on a huge rock with all their might, glaring at each other…
Terra encased in some strange armor, embracing Beast Boy as they kissed in the darkness. Her entire body was beginning to glow yellow, and she pushed Beast Boy away, yelling something after him. Terra screamed in pain…
Terra sweating heavily, tank top and shorts suggestively sticking to her slim form as she dodged projectiles one after the other, occasionally countering with stones of her own. Off to the side, a shadowy figure was watching…
Terra blindsiding Mumbo Jumbo with a huge rock as he ran out of a bank, sending money flying everywhere. The other Titans cheered…
Terra, kneeling over Beast Boy on rocks by the ocean, shaking his shoulders as she yelled something at him. Beast Boy slowly got up and started to hug her…
Terra, looking around nervously, walked through a gallery of mirrors. Many mirrors distorted her reflections at once, forming gruesome depictions of the beautiful blonde. She called out, and someone stepped towards her from behind. She spun around, hands glowing…
Terra knelt on the floor in the middle of Titan Tower and wept, covering her eyes with her hands. She was dressed in the same odd armor. The Titans were gathered around her as she sobbed on the floor, pointing fingers at her and yelling…
A final image: A well remembered mask, half orange and half black, with only a single eyehole on the left side. The eye stared mockingly back into Raven's face, tinged with morbid amusement…
Raven finally snapped out of it, eyes wide and breathing hard. Terra was still running towards the door… all that had happened in just an instant. A hand landed softly on her shoulder, and she almost screamed – she had forgotten Robin was here with her. He looked at her with obvious concern. "Are you alright?"
Raven found the hand on her shoulder so comforting; she was extremely reluctant to let him go. She knew she had to, though. Despite this most recent wave of temptation, she still knew she couldn't control her powers well enough to tell him. Raven didn't bother answering Robin's question: he knew her better than anyone on the team, and more than well enough to see how unsettled she really was. There was no point in trying to hide it… not from him. Instead, she went right to what they both knew was the issue. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have her here?" Raven was annoyed to note that she was sweating, and she brushed a few beads of water off the gray skin of her forehead.
"Not really," Robin answered, releasing his hand from her shoulder with obvious reluctance, "but everyone deserves a second chance." With that, he turned and ran after the rest of the team. Raven stood there thinking and trying to compose herself for a good few seconds before following him.
"Terra! Help me get in his face!" Robin shouted as he ran towards the cybernetic worm. Terra gladly obliged, eyes pulsing as she ripped huge hunks of pavement and earth free to form platforms that he could use to hop up to the worm. Once he got there, he threw a series of bombs into the machine's mouth. Terra held her breath, waiting for an effect, but the deadly machine shrugged off the hit. Terra sighed… she was beginning to see why the city needed the Titans so badly.
When the team had arrived, the worm traveling under the city had already revealed itself. They showed up just in time to save a busload of civilians. Terra shuddered – whoever was controlling this device had ordered it to destroy that bus, and if the Titans weren't there to save it, everyone onboard would certainly be dead. She had her suspicions of who was controlling the machine, as did the Titans she was sure.
As the blonde shaman watched the fight unfolding around her, she almost had to laugh at the sheer invulnerability of the machine: The Titans were hitting it with everything they had and the armor wasn't even scratching. Terra decided it was her turn to see what she could do, and yelled with the strain as she pulled a huge chunk of stone free from the bedrock under the street, and willed it towards the worm.
Suddenly, the stone went black, yellow flashes of her power warring with the darkness for control. "Stop it Terra!" Raven yelled at her as she pulled at the rock from the other side, keeping it in place. "It's too dangerous! You could hurt someone!"
Terra snorted indignantly and redoubled her efforts. "I know what I'm doing!" Unfortunately, Terra could see Raven was more than up to the challenge, and her own pull on the rock strengthened as well. The stone began to crack under the intense stress of the game of tug of war.
"Look out!" Robin's yell was Terra's only warning before a crimson beam from the cybernetic worm hit the conflicted rock, causing it to detonate in a blinding flash that knocked down both Raven and Terra. Terra pulled herself off the ground and watched as the worm reared up, then slammed back into the ground, drilling a tunnel into the rock.
Terra and Raven both got up and, after exchanging glares at each other, walked over to Robin as he pulled out his signaling communicator. He opened it, and everyone's suspicious were instantly confirmed by the heterogeneous mask. "Slade," Robin bit out, speaking for all of them.
Not to be taken off guard, Slade responded with an easy tone, "So good to see you again, Robin. Did I call at a bad time?"
Robin wasn't about to play games with this madman. Terra gave a tight grin at their fascinating rivalry. "The worm," he simply bit out. "What are you up to?"
"Why Robin," Slade responded with mocking wounded innocence, "If you're so very curious, why don't you come down here and find out?" Slade signed off and the screen went blank, leaving the Titans staring down into the blackness of the hole.
Robin gestured forward. "Let's go." After just a slight hesitation, everyone followed.
After walking for about 20 minutes, Cyborg started to get a little antsy. "We're almost 400 meters under sea level! What couldthat thingbe doing down here?"
Robin answered without bothering to turn and face him, never slowing down as a dark, obsessive anger crept into his voice. "Whatever Slade tells it to."
Terra was only half listening to the conversation in front of her. Her focus was on the blue-cloaked empath walking through the tunnel alongside her. 'Why is Raven so suspicious of me?' She didn't get it. She tried to think of anything she had done since she got return to have pissed the girl off, but came up blank. She could see that Robin valued Raven's opinion highly: If Raven didn't like Terra, the odds of the shaman ever becoming a Titan were slim to none.
'Well, there's nothing for it except for talking to her.' Terra decided, and she turned her head towards the silent girl walking beside her. "Listen, Raven, I'm sorry about that little tug of war we had up there. You know I wouldn't have let anyone get hurt…"
"Whatever," Raven replied, not even looking at her.
'To hell with this, we're having it out right here.' Terra stopped walking and looked towards Raven, who stopped as well and turned to face the shaman. "Look, I don't know what your problem is, but get over it. If I'm going to be a member of this team, we're going to need to be able to trust each…"
"You're NOT a member of this team," Raven snapped at her, "not yet. And if you endanger my friends again, I'll insure you never will be. So. The next time I tell you something is too dangerous… TAKE MY WORD FOR IT!" she ended, her voice rising to a yell as her eyes briefly pulsed red. Raven stormed off after Robin and Cyborg, leaving Terra and Beast Boy alone.
"Ummm…" Terra started, turning to BB, "why does she hate me?"
BB just shrugged noncommittally. "Eh. She kinda hates everyone. Raven… just needs to get used to you." Beast Boy paused and smiled at Terra. "I think she's still getting used to me." Terra returned the smile, and they continued onward.
The team soon arrived in a large, open cavern underground. The Titans looked around, but no one could see a way out in the green light of Starfire's star bolt. "It's a dead end!" Terra exclaimed.
"Not exactly," Robin said, pointing some sensor at a wall. "I'm picking up a signal deep in this rock."
Cyborg walked up and pointed his more sensitive sensors at the wall. "Way deep. Machinery... and a heart beat."
Robin spoke all of their thoughts. "Slade."
Terra raised her hands and they began to glow as she willed her power to activation. "Then let's dig down there and get hi..." Terra was interrupted by another earthquake, and all the Titans started backpedaling to keep their balance. Terra noticed Raven glaring at her from under her hood and sighed. "Are you going to give me that look every time there's an earthquake?"
Raven opened her mouth to snap out some undoubtedly biting and witty response, but she was interrupted by a drilling worm erupting from the ground... followed by two more of them. "Titans! Ready!" Robin yelled, and the team grouped up in a loose ring between the three mechs, weapons at the ready. The worms lunged towards one of the walls and left as quickly as they came.
Beast Boy stared after them. "Hellooooo!" he yelled, waving his arms, "Good guys are back here!" He turned back to the group. "Why are they going?"
"Because we are not the targets..." Starfire answered dolefully.
Cyborg turned to Robin. "Three of those things could take out any target in the city!"
"We need to stop them!" Terra agreed.
"We need to stop Slade," Raven pointed out from under her cowl.
Robin paused for a second before answering. "Alright. Cyborg, take Starfire and Beast Boy and stop those worms! Terra, Raven? We're going after Slade."
Cyborg pumped his fist into his palm. "Titans! Let's move!"
As the three Titans ran off, Terra turned to Robin. "You know, we really don't need her help," she said, inclining her head towards Raven. "I can handle..."
"No," Robin responded, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Raven is almost as good at moving earth as you, and we need this done."
Terra wasn't sure, but she thought Raven might have smirked under her cloak. "Nice try," the empath deadpanned. Shrugging, Terra turned to the wall.
"Alright, we need a tunnel about 500 meters south, three degrees down."
"No problem," Terra responded, and a golden ray of energy shot from her hands to the wall, moving stone aside as they met. A short chant later, Raven's dark energy joined it.
As Terra's beam hit the stone, Terra transformed it to small dust and moved it out of the way. Raven's method was more crude, but equally effective. Whenever her dark energy contacted the stone around her, the weak substance vaporized under the force. Together, the two made excellent progress through the stone.
Finally, Terra's beam broke though to a well-lit chamber. It looked like a mineshaft. Above them, there was this giant green thing spinning in mid air, and as they watched red beams of destructive light shot upwards from the drill towards the rock at the top of the chamber.
Robin rushed towards the peanut computer (computer with a 3D hologram screen being projected... yes, they actually exist) in the center of the room, and Raven and Terra followed. There was a projection of the drills circling above... and high above them, Terra could see another drill circling above the surface. Suddenly, Robin's communicator went off, and Cyborg's concerned voice came through. "Robin! The target is Titan Tower! Titan Tower is under attack!
"It's not just under attack... it's about to be underground." Robin said, disbelievingly. 'Two drills... one going up and one going down. If either breaks through, the tower is finished. "Titans, hit it with everything!"
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven's beautiful eyes lit up with white light as bolt after bolt of destructive emotional energy shot from her fingertips to the drill. Robin threw explosive projectiles against the green armor, and even as he watched, rocks detached from the walls and smashed into the machine. Robin looked up hopefully, but when the smoke from the devastating volley cleared, the drill was unaffected. 'Not even a scratch...'
He ran back to the side of the computer, rapidly typing at a keyboard. "We have to stop it! I'm going to hack into the computer.. You two..." Robin looked up just in time to see Slade leap through the holographic screen in a flying kick. Robin hastily threw up a block, but still went flying backwards. As he flipped back with the force of the kick, drawing his staff to match Slade's.
Robin continued backpedaling frantically, desperately dodging and blocking until he felt himself enter an elevator. Looking over Slade's shoulder, Robin saw Raven and Terra rushing to help him. "Forget about me! Stop the drill!"
"That's right, Robin," Slade mocked him as he slapped the up button on the wall. "Now I have you all to myself." Slade charged, and Robin braced for the fight of his life.
Terra turned to the dark girl beside her. "So, I guess it's just you and me now."
Raven ignored her and ran back to the computer Robin had been working on. "We need to hack into the system. It's the only way to stop that drill."
Terra disagreed. It would be better if they just destroyed the computer. That way, they'd stop the drill immediately. "Why hack when you can smash?" she asked as her eyes started to glow, and she brought a huge stone free from the wall.
"NO!" Raven yelled, throwing her soul self over the rock, freezing it in place. For the second time since she had returned, the two girls were locked in a battle of tug-of-war. "Destroy the computer and we might never stop it!"
"Or we might stop it sooner!" Terra redoubled her efforts, but found Raven's magic an easy match. "Why can't you just trust me!"
"Trust you?" Raven said with a snort, her eyes narrowing. Terra could have sworn they were glowing red for a moment. "How am I supposed to trust you! I might be the most dangerous person on this planet to myself and to my friends... I have to meditate every day to keep my powers under control. It takes years to gain control over my powers. You didn't just suddenly gain control over yours!" Terra averted her eyes, looking down in shame. She was, of course, right. "Trust isn't something you can just get. You need to earn it."
"How! How can I earn your trust!"
"You can start by trusting me!"
Terra lowered her hands and let her control over the rock fade away. "O.k.," she conceded, dropping the stone and hurrying over to Raven. Suddenly, Raven tackled her backwards just as a falling stone from the drilling above smashed down onto where they were standing, smashing the computer into pieces. The two teens heard an ominous whirling above them, and the drill sped up considerably. Terra turned to the empath beside her. "Ok... so maybe smashing the computer really was a bad idea..."
Raven got up and looked sadly up at the ceiling. 'Sorry Robin. I failed...' She could sense the second the drill broke through. The ceiling began to collapse as Robin landed on the ground by her. "Slade?" she asked.
Robin shook his head. "Vanished."
"Let's get out of here. There's nothing else we can do." Raven prepared to teleport them out, but noticed Terra wasn't with them.
"Like hell there isn't," the blonde shaman said as her eyes lit up with energy. Golden rays of shamanistic power jumped from her glowing palms and pushed back against the falling ceiling. The straining teen was putting everything she had into bearing the weight of the world itself. Raven wasn't about to let Terra struggle alone.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shouted her mantra as she ran over to Terra's side, throwing her soul self into levitating the earth above her. Slowly, painfully, the platform started to move back upward. Raven smiled.
"So, friends?" Terra asked the moody walking through the tower with her.
"Close enough," Raven answered as they walked, giving what might have been a small smile beneath her hood.
"I'm sorry we kinda got off to a little bit of a bad start..."
This time, Terra could see that Raven clearly DID smile. "Actually, I thought that went pretty well. It took me a year to stop hating Beast Boy." As she spoke, Raven was opening a keypad lock on a door. When it was opened, the room inside was pitch black. Terra couldn't see a thing.
"SURPRISE!"
Terra looked around in the suddenly bright light. The other four Titans were standing in the middle of the room, smiling at her. The room itself was nothing less than spectacular as far as Terra was concerned. All the furniture was done is pale beige fabric, and the wallpaper was a shade of tan with a visible sandy texture. It was obviously supposed to look desert like, and the effect worked beautifully. The ceiling outdid every else, though. A vast star scape literally covered the entire ceiling, giving the impression of staring up at the night sky. The room was obviously for her.
"Welcome to your new room, Terra!" Beast Boy said energetically, his smile widening further as her eyes lit up.
Terra couldn't believe this. 'They did all of this… for me?' Never in a hundred years would… the teen shaman banished that thought immediately. 'I must not think of that.' The implications of this redecoration were just starting to hit her. "So… does this mean I'm…"
"A Teen Titan!" Robin said, holding out his hand to her. "Welcome to the team."
Terra happily accepted his hand, and pulled him into a quick hug. Her smile was practically glowing as she looked around at her new teammates, and they returned the smile. Cyborg was the first to break the silence. "A celebration like this can only mean one thing… WAFFLES!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, heading for the door. "I'll cook!"
The other Titans started heading after Cyborg, but Beast Boy stayed with Terra. "Make sure they're tofu waffles!" he yelled after the mechanical man, but ignored Cyborg's unintelligible but gruff sounding response. "I'm glad you're here to stay, Terra," he said, looking awkward. "I'm… really glad to see you again."
Terra smiled at him, and his eyes took on a far away look. Terra thought it looked extremely cute. "I'm glad to see you again too, BB," she admitted. "Really glad." While he seemed to digest that, she spoke again. "I'm just going to go and get changed. Go with the others, I'll be out in a minute."
Beast Boy left with one smile backwards, and as the door shut behind him, Terra breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't believe it," she whispered to herself as she stared down and the palms of her hands. "They actually trust me…" Terra flipped her hair idly, and it fell back over her face, completely covering her right eye. Annoyed, she brushed it out of the way and went to change.
That night, Raven was alone in her room and trying to sleep. Her mind was too busy to sleep, however… she couldn't rest while her brain was still whirling in circles. She found herself relatively happy to have Terra back. The girl saved her home, after all. Despite that, though, Raven wasn't sure whether to trust the shaman. The slim blonde girl seemed perfectly innocent, but her sudden control over her powers bothered Raven more than a little. Something about still didn't seem quite right.
'And then there is my vision.'
Raven sighed. There was that, all right. A series of very disturbing images had gone through her head today, and all of them involved Terra. Going by some of those images, Terra seemed dangerous. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. Raven was knowledgeable to know that a vision of the future is only one of many possible futures. The future could subject to change, and not everything was predetermined. 'There is a divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them how we will…' Just how much of that vision was predetermined was the question.
Raven though again of her own experience with the Justice League. She had been turned out simply because of the danger she might represent. How was Terra any different? 'How would I be any different if I turn her away?' Finally, Robin's words to her echoed through her, 'everyone deserves a second chance.'
Robin… the thought of him caused its own set of problems. She still hadn't really talked to him about what had happened yesterday… she was still avoiding him. Perhaps Terra could help?
Maybe. Raven finally fell into a deep sleep, and forgot all about Slade, Terra, and her visions.
End Chapter 17
A/N So, Terra's back now. The question is: what happened to Terra while she was away? Did Slade find her? Or is the future as Starfire saw it on course?
NEXT CHAPTER ON MONDAY!
Next Time on Teen Titans - Fragile Dreams:
Everyone's questions on Terra are answered
- Slade returns to the action directly
- Terra is a traitor...
Next Episode: Betrayal
...The only question is... who is betrayed?