Disclaimer:
I don't own the Teen Titans, though I wish I did. Or maybe just a pair of hot Tamaranian princesses.
Summary:
Life rarely gives you second chances, but when it does, it never makes things easy. Takes place just following the events of 'The End,' and through the backscenes until 'Things Change.' Rated PG-13 just to be on the safe side.
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"They are my family... this is my home... and you are not welcome here!"
A white glow lit up the entire city, centered on the forehead of the girl born to destroy the world. The girl who was now saving it.
"Azerath... Metrion... ZINTHOS!"
The cry of a bird split the air, and to those with true evil in their hearts, the sound brought only fear. A white aura, so blindingly intense, had surrounded Raven, engulfed her, and stretched out on a pair of alabaster wings of pure light. These stretched out to encompass the city that she protected, she loved, and watched over. Before it, the power of the terrible Trigon was as nothing, and he cringed in abject terror of the winged being before him.
Then the power simply burst, unable to be held, and a wave of white light washed over the city, the planet, the galaxy, all throughout the universe. When the energy met Trigon, the great four-eyed demon gave a mighty roar of pain, his body obliterated, banished back into the Hell he called home. When they energy washed over the broken remains of Jump City, the cracks in the pavement sealed over, the towering buildings stood proud, the lights were relit in every home. When it hit the bay, molten lava became cool salt water. When the light hit the statues of people, frozen in stone, they became flesh once more. Night became day, death became life. The end became a new beginning.
In more ways than one.
High above the streets of Jump City a glowing white girl floated above them like an angel, before drifting back down to be reunited with her family. But deep, deep below the surface of Jump City, another girl opened her eyes, and drew in her first breath in a great many years.
Far below the surface there existed a large number of natural rock caves and formation beneath the city. However, the majority of them were unstable and had been sealed off to the public, the Jump City officials forbidding people to go down at their own risk of being crushed or hopelessly lost and trapped below the surface of the Earth. A number of criminals and low-level super-villains had tried to set up fortresses but they hadn't been very successful either. Near the outskirts of Jump City there had once existed a church of St. Sebasian that had been swallowed up by the mud and it too had once lain beneath the city. Before Slade had moved into it and his apprentice had destroyed it with an explosive surge of power. One that had very nearly destroyed the city.
In the ruins of an old church, something stirred. Something moved. Something... was alive.
The girl's first breath was interrupted by a cough, dust was thick in the air, and she stumbled forwards, tripping over a rock and collapsing hard onto her knees a short distance away. The pain hit her hard, traveling all the way up her legs, and she bit back a cry of agony, still struggling to catch her breath. After a moment, both the pain and coughing passed, and she lifted her head to see what lay around her.
It was dark... very dark. For the life of her she couldn't see a single damn thing.
She was momentarily scared, panicky, but this was quickly replaced by a simple solution: if you can't see, rely on your other senses. Without even realizing it, she'd already started on that, her hands reaching down behind her to find that stone she'd tripped over.
How had I known to do that, she wondered. When did I... wait... when did I get here...? And why... why... who...
And then a more startling, terrible revelation befell this already troubled girl.
Who am I?
No answer presented itself, desperate though she was to find answers. She clutched at her head, desperate to remember something, anything, but all she got was a few fleeting glimpses of faces and names she didn't recognize. And then, in an instant, they were gone as well.
For a moment, she didn't know what to do... what to think... but her body began to respond without her again, and she continue to search. She had to find out where she was. She had to find a way out. And she had to learn more. She had to find some answers. Something was... was wrong with her. She knew that much. She could feel it.
Suddenly her hand found something, bumped against a rock, and she seized onto it carefully, examining the surface with her fingertips. She realized something else as well, she was clothed, but in something that felt unfamiliar... a mixture of leather and metal that somehow felt... alien against her skin. She couldn't even really tell why she just... didn't like it. But she'd leave it for now, until she knew more. Her hand brushed against the stone, feeling the rough surface, then it brushed against something else, something smooth. Man-made, not naturally occurring.
Someone had been down here before? Or... or was this mine?
Idly, she felt an indent... letters, she realized. She remembered the alphabet too... so many things she remembered... so many things she'd forgotten.
T... A... R... A...
"Tara?" she whispered aloud, the first word she'd spoken. What did it mean?
The sound of rocks shifting made her head snap upwards, and she felt a fine layer of dust fall atop of her. This cavern was unstable at best. She wasn't safe here. Slowly, she pushed herself onto shaky feet, barely able to stand. She felt so very weak, like she hadn't moved her muscles in years. Her breath came deeply as well, as if she'd been drowning. Slowly, she stumbled/shuffled her way forward, one hand outstretched to search for the wall of the cavern, and try and find an exit.
The rocks above her head shifted again, and she moved more quickly, pushing herself. She needed to get out. Now.
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How long the girl had been down in those underground tunnels, she couldn't say. It could have been an hour, it could've been days. Time had no meaning in the darkness. She knew only a great feeling of joy flooding her body when she finally saw light, and despite her fatigue, jogged all the way up to the end of the tunnel and out the cave onto the side of the hill, where the warm sun shined down brightly upon her (though it was on the horizon, and close to setting). She threw up her arms and whooped for joy, letting the sun's rays wash over her, warming her cold body.
She felt so relieved... and yet... at the same time... still unfulfilled. Her arms dropped back down to her sides as she gave a hearty sigh. Lifting her head (and brushing the hair out of her eyes) she peered around the landscape, but all she saw was rocky crevices and outcroppings. This area was dead, or nearly so, devoid of life. Wait... yes... there was a city on the edge of her vision, an expanse of silver and steel just in front of the setting sun.
Wait... I know that city... don't I?
Again, myriad images flashed before her mind's eye. A pizzeria, a bank, a park, a Tower... but as she tried to concentrate on them, tried to put some meaning to them, her head hurt, and the images fled, leaving her with nothing yet again.
What was the point of tormenting me with memories if I can't actually remember? she thought in frustration, balling up her hands into fists.
"Who am I!" she cried out in frustration, tears streaking down the side of her face, marring the dust and dirt that had accumulated there. "What did I ever do to deserve this!" she howled, collapsing onto her knees, slamming her fists down against the ground. Fear now gone, she had anger to spare, and she made sure the rocks felt it.
The ground shuddered from her rage, but wrapped up in it, she did not notice.
Finally, exhausted, she collapsed, sobbing, and lost consciousness. Lost, confused, scared, and in the middle of nowhere. All alone.
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Well... perhaps not all alone.
One wide eye was staring at her prone form with open shock. And considering this was the only feature visible behind the mask of Slade, that was saying something.
"... Impossible..."
When Trigon had been defeated, Slade had been restored to health, same as all those who had been in Jump City. Taking advantage of the confusion, he had slipped away as quickly as possible, hijacking a car and making his way out of Jump City. Later, he would slip back in, but not during the day, not when so many people were around. Under cover of darkness. So for now he'd find one of his safehouses in the desert and lay low for a while.
But then the car had run low on gas (and he'd cursed the previous owner for not filling up) and he'd been forced to abandon it on the road and make his way into the desert. He wasn't concerned, his body allowed him to go days and nights without food and water, and he pitied any creature, even radioactive giant scorpions, that thought they could kill him. Still, he did give the one valley he'd spotted them in a wide berth... he'd died once... he was in no mood to repeat the experience.
And then, seemingly completely by accident, he'd stumbled across her. Across HER of all people!
His first instinct had been to attack. He was unarmed, but he had such strength that he could grab her and snap her in half if he'd desired. The second instinct had been to hide, and he'd let that one guide him. It turned out to be a good idea. She hadn't even seen him, but the earth shook when she threw her tantrum and screamed. Her powers were still as formidable as ever, it seemed.
But now she was asleep... asleep... vulnerable... idly Slade's armored hands drifted down to pick up a rock. Not very big, not very heavy (not to him, at least) but one swift move... he could smash her skull... and his former apprentice would be no more. His hands trembled with rage. This was no mere apprentice of his. This girl had slain him. After all he had done for her, all had had given her, she had turned her back on him for her useless, weak, pathetic little friends! His one eye narrowed dangerously, and he raised up the rock. She had taken his life...
... he would return the favor.
Then, with a mighty heave, he hurled the rock...
... off into the distance.
He couldn't do it.
Something about her, just lying there, so utterly helpless. She was a complete mess, she'd obviously been through hell and back... and he could relate in a both literal and figurative sense. Plus, her cry had caught his attention. She had no idea who she was. Based on her actions, she didn't even know about her powers.
She'd been given a completely new chance at life... just like him.
As the sun vanished on the horizon and night fell, Slade vanished into the shadows... leaving his former apprentice alone.
At least, for now.
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Author's Notes:
Terra mis-read her tombstone (kinda hard to read in the dark and by touch), which will come into play later on.
