Insaneiac: Yeah, got my first death threat today. It literally said Update or Die, so I'm assuming I'm now famous. Famous or marked, it really depends on what the general feeling is. Anyways, for fans of Beast Boy, and bigger fans of Slade, I'm writing a new fic that honestly puts a new spin on it all. It'll be up when Third Time's a Charm, is done, and I hope it'll do as well as my other pieces. And a note before this all gets started, but this and the next chapter are going to be shorter, for the sheer fact that once the final four chapters gets underway, the action is going to pick up tenfold. Sorry to everyone who really wanted length, but you'll love me later. Peace

Reviews

Alexnandru Van Gordon: Well, where to start. I'll begin by saying that saying you'll kill me, and killing me are different things. And yes, I know, I pulled at the heartstrings quite efficiently. But trust me; if think Fate was big, you're in for a surprise.

Infamous One: Always good to hear from a fellow Cyborg hater…which I am assuming you are. And yes, life ain't fair. It's like the saying goes, Life's a pain, and then you die. Live with it.

Slade Wilson – Deathstroke: Glad to see you've return. Once Again, the echoing claps grace my reviews, and I did so miss them. And yes, Beast Boy and Terra now remain in-between the broken Titans and Slade and his apprentice, Robin. It will be a great showdown to be precise.

Rebel-Aquarius: Don't feel stupid, please. I'm just glad another person likes it. Really I am.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. I did own Blink, but now he's dead. Rest in peace noble soul. Oh yeah, the bold text is lyrics from Feel Good Inc. By Gorillaz.

Chapter 11: Beneath the Flying City
There is really nothing scarier than watching a close friend get assassinated. The only thing close enough to challenge that is the sudden display of emotion one uses when he or she jumps in front of a bullet. Sometimes, it is also one of the dumbest things a person could do to someone, even if they were trying to save that person's life. Point and case, Raven. Raven, who was now lying in the medical bay, tubes and all sorts of machinery keeping her barely stable, after a bullet tore through her chest as if it were paper. Her left lung was now slowly being healed by her own powers, and the cloaked Titan had fallen into a comatose like state, completely detached from reality.

In the time period of a month, Starfire had gone from being easily the most cheery member of the Titans, to the most devastated. He eyes changing from bright and full of spirit to dull and defeated. She had first been responsible for Robin's capture, even though everyone had told her she wasn't. Well, everyone but Speedy and Aqualad. Mas and Menos had both left after the accident, seeking help from other heroes. And now, Starfire had been responsible for Raven now lying in the medical room, too close to death for her own comfort. And to round it all off, she still had no idea as to where Beast Boy was, and now believed herself to be the cause of his running away.

"Friend Cyborg…" Starfire muttered, looking away from the window. The floating city resting heavily in her mind. "It is my fault that Raven is injured, is it not. My carelessness led to her nearly fatal wound."

"Star… you didn't shoot her. Someone else did. And I swear if I even find out who did, I'll…" Cyborg growled, his voice rising with ire as he went on.

"It is my fault that Robin was captured, and my fault that Beast Boy is gone now. I am to blame for everything."

"Starfire, it's not your fault! It's Slade's and that scumbag Blink fault. They caused this all. Not you."

"But had I not been so careless…"

"I never saw the sniper either! Speedy never saw him, and neither did Aqualad. If anything, you owe Raven your life." Cyborg reasoned, as his attention turned from the depressed Starfire to the former city, floating high above the city. "How do we get up there now? The T-Ship is still not in flying condition, and we have no clue what Slade is up to."

"And let us not forget, he still had Robin." Starfire replied, looking down.

"We'll beat him Star, we always do. It will just be harder this time. We really have to pull our act together, and bring it in full. Slade's just another villain Starfire. He's nothing more or worst than Brother Blood, and we've beaten him before." Cyborg tried to comfort, but finding himself falling short.

"But Slade is not like other villains. Slade has Robin."

"I know Star…I know…" Cyborg admitted, looking down. "Even Brother Blood could not have me." Slowly, they both turned their eyes back to the sickening display of power that Slade held firmly. Their city, their turf, now floating thousands of feet in the air, further from them then it had ever been. Truly, this was one of the greatest defeats the Titans had ever faced.

Medical Bay ------

Raven lied upon the plain bed, a mess of tubes and bandages, and comatose. The bullet had done massive amounts of damage, and effectively tore through her left lung. She should be dead right now, but she had managed to stay alive, even if it were just barely. She found herself deep within sleep, as her body slowly regenerated from the wound. It would clearly affect her for the rest of her life, but not as much as something completely unexplained that had happened.

Typically, she could only hear the thoughts of people who had had her go inside their mind. It was a typical effect of the ability, and it usually left her a little more than taxed. However, in this occasion, she had heard something completely different. Someone else's thought had ripped into her mind, and startled her. It was almost like something called to her from beyond. Yet it was the single most foreign thing she had ever experienced.

Someone else, someone she had never been attached to or even mentally felt before, had called out to her in desperation. The voice had rang so clearly in her mind that it brought shivers to her spine. And yet, the voice had belonged to what sounded like a mere child. It sounded like a child, but even in her comatose state, she knew that it had felt like someone else.

And until she could move from her bed to finally take the time to apply the concentration to find out who it was, she was forced to just allow it to remain a mystery. Something that pained her incredibly as she herself had learned that mysteries and her do not add up well at all. Nor have they ever.

Ocean Cave ------

Directly across from the mighty Titan Tower, separated by the now ocean filled crater that had once been Jump City, was a large cave, with an opening in this side. On the top of the opening sat Beast Boy, looking down pitifully at the ground, and Terra, who had found herself switching between the ground and Beast Boy. It was not secret that he had some feelings for the witch, and it must hurt immensely to watch a former friend kill another.

"So then. I take it we run?" Terra muttered, looking up at the floating city. It had always been the plan to run. "Let the Titans clean up the mess, and go somewhere else?"

"Not anymore." Beast Boy growled, with frightening determination. He didn't lift his head in the slightest, and never turned to meet Terra's widened eyes. "I always thought I would just run away with you after I got you back. That you and me could just turn our backs from our past, and be happy. That Slade and the Titans would just disappear."

"Beast Boy…"

"Well I can't now. I wouldn't even if I could. Slade's made this personal. I just can't turn away from it anymore. Besides…" Beast Boy muttered weakly, before looking up into Terra's beaming blue eyes. He could find sweet comfort residing within them, and the strength to continue. "It's my fault that this has all happened. I played into his grimy little hands like some pet!" Beast Boy declared, turning away from Terra. "Robin, this city, Blink, it's all my fault. Maybe Raven was right…maybe Slade does have two apprentices. Maybe I should be wearing an S with this outfit."

Beast Boy flinched as he felt a soft hand come to the side of his face, and turn it back to Terra. For a brief period of time, time had frozen completely. They just stared into each other's eyes, Terra mentally reassuring Beast Boy that it was not his fault, and Beast Boy mentally reassuring Terra that he was still her Beast Boy.

"It wasn't ever your fault Beast Boy. You didn't pull that trigger, and you were just doing what you thought would help me. How can you beat yourself up for that?" Terra replied, before taking the changeling into a warm, comforting hug. "It's Slade's fault, and I promise you Beast Boy, we will get even."

Slowly, Beast Boy brought his arms up to embrace Terra as well, the life in his eyes coming back quickly. 'She's right. It's not my fault…' Beast Boy thought, as the two hugged. Finally, the two broke apart from each other, and returned to the more dire tasks at hand. "So, should we check up on him?" Beast Boy asked, as Terra stood up.

"Yes." She replied, before making her way into the cave.

Inside the Cave ------

Death is one of those things that people just accept. It happens, and it can't be avoided. When it comes, it is accepted openly, and sometimes even embraced. Sometimes, people die with unfulfilled ambitions, and refuse death as a possibility, becoming ghosts. Though this is no ghost story, for many it should be, as the prone figure of Damian Grace lied motionless on the stone floor of the cave. Right now, he should be at the bottom of an ocean covered crater, dead as can be. Yet here he lied, his breathing barely stable, but his life in control.

"Damian." A voice rang, as Damian stood up. He turned slowly to come eye to eye with his stepmother, the woman that had replaced the mother he never got the chance to know. "Damian, listen to me now. You have great deeds to spread, and I think more than anything at all, you need to know this. I love you, despite what you may ever believe." Linda muttered, as she wrapped Damian tightly in her arms. Damian himself was speechless, and could only mutter muffled cries as he felt tears flow from his eyes. Slowly, the embrace was broken, and there was a new burning intensity in his mother's eyes.

"Now wake up. Your friends need you, and you will need them. The hard part begins now…"

Slowly, Damian opened his eyes to the cave, to the world he was convinced he had left behind to go to the next life. At least, he assumed it was the real world. Death can be a confusing experience, and near death can sometimes be much more discombobulating than death itself. Slowly, Damian tried to sit up, before feeling extreme pain in his right arm, and left leg. He wanted to scream in pain, but he assumed it was better not to.

City's breaking down on a camel's back
They just have to go 'cos they don't hold back
So all you fill the streets it's appealing to see
You won't get out the county, 'cos you're bad and free

Slowly, Damian felt his eyes adjust to the darkness, and he could finally get a grasp on his current status, and the surrounding environment. His arm had been bandaged heavily, and so had his leg. 'Someone must have found me in the water, though how I am not dead is beyond confusing. I was so sure…' Blink thought to himself, before slowing feeling his forehead. The band was gone, and so was Slade's control over him. He was free, and prior to Slade's belief, he wasn't dead.

You've got a new horizon it's ephemeral style.
A melancholy town where we never smile.
And all I wanna hear is the message beep.
My dreams, they've got to kiss, because I don't get sleep, no…

Blink tried to move, but found himself only causing himself more pain as he twisted and turned in his spot. After quickly realizing that struggling was only making the pain worst, he gave up trying to do anything, and just groaned out. His rib had stopped hurting a long time ago, which alarmed him greatly. Only with the headband on could his body sustain a higher healing rate, thanks greatly to the storing of energy he created from teleporting.

Then an idea came to Blink. He lifted his hand in front of his face, and attempted to charge. His eyes lit up when he found himself capable of doing so. Nothing was making sense at all, and Blink was finding himself ever more confused than before. Obviously, the near death experience had not proven mystifying enough.

"You should be dead right now." Beast Boy muttered, causing Blink's head to whip towards Beast Boy. "I'll put it blatantly for you. You owe me…" Beast Boy started, before spreading his arms out, like someone would when boasting about a fish they had caught. "…hugely." He finished, a dumb grin across his face.

Windmill, Windmill for the land.
Learn forever hand in hand

"How am I alive mate?"

"Let's just say, Terra wanted to go back for you, and we saw you fall. I flew towards you as fast as I could, and then I turned into an elephant. You landed on my back hard, and then Terra brought a floating platform up to me for the flight down. I guess you owe us both…mate."

"Terra saved me… after I…"

Take it all in on your stride
It is sticking, falling down

"Yes, she did."

Slowly, Blink looked into the eyes of Beast Boy, and saw beyond his pleasantness, and saw the deep hate he held for him. "I'm…" Blink started, before back down. His shoulders dropped has he hung his head low, looking away from the changeling. "I'm sorry I treated you like this Beast Boy. I couldn't help myself… I just gave in to that conniving, bloody little wanker!" Blink yelled, his head whipping back up, eyes shut firmly, his arm whipping to a nearby wall and firing a charged blast into it.

Slowly, Blink opened his eyes again, and saw Terra kneeling in front of him. "Damian, it's been seven years since you left…"

Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me

Slowly, Blink nodded, and with his one good arm, wrapped it around his sister. "Seven years too long, alone with my own damned memories." Blink whispered into Terra's ear, before looking at Beast Boy. "So, I take it I am not dead than…"

"Yup." Beast Boy replied, before looking away, towards where he had come. "Unless Terra and I are also dead." Beast Boy finished, as Terra slowly closed her arms around her brother.

"So then, do we run?"

Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?

Slowly, Terra broke away, and looked into Damian's eyes with a new found passion that blazed fiercely in her eyes. "No. Slade needs to pay."

For the first time in too long, Damian laughed. He laughed and laughed until he felt himself become dizzy. Terra and Beast Boy had both been effectively dumbstruck by the whole freak out, but didn't say anything, as Damian slowly stopped laughing, and adopted the same look he had on his face when Beast Boy had first met him.

"Exactly what I wanted to hear. I guess I'll bring the beers then mates?"

Insaneiac: First off, I am not weak. I had never stated that Blink would die yet, and to be frank, if I do infact continue this with a sequel, then Blink has been through precious little compared to what he will. Coming up, it is the final chapter before the four part extravaganza, Finale. Have fun.