Thank you for those who reviewed. Again.
ShadowHexx771 : Thanks. I'm just getting a bit of a writer's block. Also, there's still hope for a Season 6 despite the fact that The Batman has gotten exclusive rights to Robin and Smallville to Cyborg for a season. However, WB and CN both defended on the cancellation of the show on newsarama. And "Things Change" was so controversial, it just begged to be written into a fanfiction.
Moon Comix : Well, you have a 1/2 chance of being right for being dead/working with Slade. I'm going to try and implement a twist though.
ColdHeartedPhoenix : Thanks.
Johnny A. O : I've actually been to a private school before. I live here in sunny California. Almost all the teachers here are like that albeit somewhat more uptight now.
Terra106 : Thanks. This is actually not my first fic. I've been submitting many on teen titans fan sites.
ikilledsuki : Well, here it is.
(A/N: After all the fast-paced threads of the plot, this chapter is going to take it a bit slow. Also, just to make sure, there is no definite shipping of BB/T or BB/Rae or whatever it may be yet. I think I may have contradicted that with the way Terra's been acting though. Ah,well… But if it's BB/Rae, it will sure as hell put a twist to the story.
And yes, I know the title is bipolar and contradictory. Actually, it makes sense. Something's going to occur within this chapter that's really familiar but it doesn't proceed in the same way previously.
(Also, just a warning, Terra might irritate you as she may have to me as I was writing this up. It doesn't really seem OOC to me just somebody utterly frustrated. Haven't you ever experienced the frustration at people for promising something and not completing the task? Obviously, one thing Terra hates is an unfulfilled promise. Well, this is entirely a shared experience for me.)
Chapter V : Reunion
The immaculate rays of the dawning sun cast down upon my weary eyes as I arose from my sleep. Yesterday's happenings flashed before me – the waves, the conversing, the kiss…- er, nightmare.
No nightmares or haunts this time. At least that could be the highlight of the day.
My arms flailed beside me in an effort to move as my head spun. I had just arose, and I already felt tired and inadequate. Glancing nearby at a clock, I found but not realized it was 11 a.m. My brain worked less than efficiently as it wasted time to absorb in the information.
So I guess it wasn't really the dawning sun..
Yawning, I held my head as it ached, groaning with each and every step around the living room of the Tower. Sleep deprivation could really take you down a notch or two. Making way to the couch, I slouched upon it without energy nor stimulation.
I guess I'll never feel what it's like to have a normal life.
Something felt different since my last morning here..
Wouldn't there be arguing and yelling about what type of food, soy or not soy, to eat for breakfast - …..oh
As the revelation began to sink in, I also noticed that the Tower was vacated and uninhabited. The thought enthused me from my drunken-like sensation. Growing worried, I walked here and there in an effort to scavenge around for the other five Titans.
Did they find a clue to Beast Boy's whereabouts? Were they out?
Controlling the frustration of the prospect of being left behind unnotified, I sustained the pertinacious effort in locating the others.
No note. No anything. Where the hell..
"Terra, so you're awake!"
A calm Robin had just creeped out from the hallway to greet me. His mood sounded specifically perky as if an overdose of coffee had circulated throughout him.
Well, good, if Robin's here, then they didn't go anywhere. But why didn't they go anywhere, they're supposed to be looking for Beast Boy! (A/N Yea, she's contradicting herself. As I said, she's going to be a bit more frustrated in this chapter.)
"Robin, hey. Where're the others?" I kept an amicable façade of happiness about my face when inside me, it burned in frustration concerning the Titans.
Why can't you explain FASTER!
"STARFIRE, STOP CRYING. TERRA'S NOT DEAD. COME LOOK FOR YOURSELF. Oh sorry, well, Raven's meditating in her room, Cyborg's fixing up the T-car and Beast Boy, you know.." He grimaced as he mentioned Beast Boy in an obvious attempt to spare feelings. His carefree tone simply fed fuel to the fire inside begging me to burst out and yell.
He's talking about Beast Boy, but not trying to find him..
Just as Robin finished explaining, Starfire surprised me from behind and acknowledged my awakening with a bone-shattering hug. Her vibrant attitude proved unchanged since my last acquaintance with her.
"Uh, Star, I think you should let go. You're hurting Terra," suggested Robin. It had been a few minutes already and he still didn't refer to anything of Beast Boy's predicament. Irritation aroused inside me more than before.
"SORRY, FRIEND, I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!" I endeavored to regain my stamina and posture from one of her "death-hugs."
"Star, would you stop shouting. It's disrupting my meditation." a blue-cloaked sorceress had just walked in. None other than Raven, she simply wore an uncaring visage not even a "told you so" look for running to find Beast Boy last night.
But, surely, they must know about what happened to Beast Boy.
"Robin, you mind helping me with the – Terra, hey, you're finally awake – my little rock-n-roller." I recognized the voice – the voice of Cyborg's. He, too, remained unchanged and unmodified – just the way I knew and liked him. All the Titans were in the living room….How long had it been since..
Well not all the Titans.. not Beast Boy.
I half-expected them to bring me news upon the whereabouts of Beast Boy. I glanced eagerly at each one of them waiting for a reply or an answer.
"Well, I'm back to my room. If anybody needs me…" Raven motioned for the path to her room.
"Yea, Robin and I have to fix up my baby." Cyborg glanced at Robin as they began to head out.
"Yes, and I must cook a delectable lunch for my friends. It will be glorious, the food of Glar-nuerk 7." Starfire hummed a merry tune and flew toward the kitchen.
Wh-what. Did they forgot? Did Robin not tell them?I had to do something.
"Robin, aren't we going to do something, ab-about Beast Boy? You said we'd go search for him!"
Robin stopped in his tracks with Cyborg. Raven silently faced me upon this question. Starfire's humming slowed into silence. The four titans simply glanced my way as if a treason had just occurred.
Eventually, Robin came forth with disappointed eyes hiding the inevitable truth. Guilt panged his features as he talked.
"Terra, while you were sleeping, we-we searched everywhere. There was nothing to be found."
Subsequently, Cyborg voiced his opinion on the matter.
"We didn't want to wake you up cause Robin told us the hard time you had sleeping before. We agreed you needed rest after your confrontation with Slade."
Starfire, in this moment, uncomfortably dialogued also.
"Friend Terra, we do not know where Beast Boy is. The Slade is nowhere to be found. But we are bad friends. Very bad friends. Believe us, Terra, we have searched everywhere."
Finally, Raven took part in the matter, speaking dryly and without mistake.
"The truth is – we've never found Slade – ever. He's always shown his face to us first – always struck the beginning blow. When Robin was his apprentice, we could locate him only because Cyborg implanted a locating device on him in a fight. Beast Boy found you and Slade because he followed and tracked your scent. Slade showed his face to us when Trigon ruled the world. We've never really located Slade without clues or hints. Even then, most of them were traps."
Just as I began to comprehend the newfound revelations, the Titan's screen flickered alive with scenes of robberies occurring throughout the city at the hand of Dr. Light and a few other unknown villains.
Robin, narrowing his eyes, continued their explanation but with finality this time.
"Look, we'll talk about this later. Right now, we have to stop crime."
"And, Slade isn't crime? Robin, Slade has one of your teammates, shouldn't you be doing more to find him than looking and giving up?"
Offended, Robin stepped closer. His masked eyes grew narrower with a seemingly equal magnitude of frustration at the subject.
"Terra, stop, we feel bad enough already and it wasn't something we wanted to happen. Face it, we can't find Slade and you're not capable of doing any better. If we knew where he is, then we'd save Beast Boy in an instant. But we don't know where he is, so all we can do is wait. Slade's always been the one to show up and we've always been the one to stop him."
"You guys may not care about Beast Boy, but I do. I'm going to find him."
My head simmered in total aggravation with the other Titans. Undeterred by their elucidations, I made my step toward the exit of the Tower when a hand placed itself upon my shoulder.
"Terra, don't go through with this. This is entirely what Slade wants you to do. He's waiting for you to be lured into his trap. Don't forget that he kidnapped Beast Boy for a reason – a bait. Slade comprehends that your lo- err connection with him will take you beyond logic and blindly attempt to save him. And if he gets you, do you really think he'll just release Beast Boy. No, Terra, if you truly care for Beast Boy, you'll have to leave him alone… for now.
The words sunk in. They conceived an array of logic which could not be dismissed. Tears enveloped my eyebrows again. A lump formed within my throat as I felt my voice sap into quick spans of sniffles.
"Terra, our only option is to wait. We can't risk losing you along with Beast Boy. Just stay in the Tower. Slade will have to show himself sooner or later."
"I…hope…so.."
"Yea, Beast Boy's a Titan as are all of us, including you Terra. If you mess with one of the Titans, you mess with all of them." the machine man emphasized his point with a smile. He just stated the first positive statement so far into the day. Succumbing to the rational justification on the matter, I complied with silence.
Flashing red, the Titans' computer flashed increasingly urgently and direly as screams and cries of citizens echoed into the living room. However, the team stood still.
"Oh, and Terra, we haven't said this but welcome back. Titans, go!"
(A/N : Well, that's Chapter 5. Not much content, but it lightly provides insight upon the situation in "Confrontation" when Slade didn't eradicate Terra outright.
As I was writing out the chapter, I got the impression that it seemed mediocre of sorts – too bad I'm just not good at writing 'build up' chapters. I promise the next chapter will be better!)
