Disclaimer: What I said the last time.
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Night time at Titans Tower: East.
Terra came out of the bathroom yawning like a moose after a full meal. She was dressed in a modest white shirt and shorts, just something to sleep in. It was getting late and she just finished up unpacking all the shopping bags she received from Bumble Bee and the twins. All the cloths were now neatly folded away in her closet. She didn't get a good look at them since she was in a hurry to just get them out of the way for the day. Now that all that was done, it was off to bed.
She walked down the hall a short distance to another door. The door led into her room. It was actually less than a few steps away, since her room was the closest thing to the girls' bathroom. She touched a pad on the side which was the electronic switch to open the door. It slid open and the light came on immediately.
She took a moment, standing in the doorway, to give the room a good look. This was the room she was given and has been using for the past few days since she came here to the tower. It wasn't that brightly a decorated room. In fact, it was barely decorated at all. There were no posters or hanging picture frames on the walls. There were no assorted knick-knacks that would usually be found in a girl's room.
Instead, she just got the essentials. There was a bed, soft and comfy, inviting when you're a sleepy. There was a drawer for, mostly empty and only used by her to keep some unmentionable garments. There was a closet for cloths to hang in and other stuff to be put into. There was a small desk for work. The entire space was lit by a solitary white florescent lamp that was attached to the ceiling.
It was a modest room, not much to say about it. But for Terra, it sufficed for now. During all her years simply wandering through the wilderness alone, she has come to treasure the comforts of one's own room that most people would just take for granted. So it may have been a little barren, but it was just fine.
Besides, if she decided to accept the Titans East's proposition that came along with all the luggage they gave to her as a gift, this room won't be so barren for much longer. Terra took comfort in that thought, it was nice to have friends. It was nice to be alive. She reminded herself that she would thank them again in the morning.
Terra pressed a switch on the wall which closed the door, then another switch to turn off the lights. She found her way to the bed, tucked herself in and left everything else to the bed bugs.
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Back at the main room.
"I really can't explain it myself, Bumble Bee," said Robin's image on the giant computer screen, "As much as I love to work on this case, I have absolutely no leads and no resources. Plus the Titans have encountered a whole myriad of more pressing issues when we got back."
"But I want to know," said Bumble Bee, "Do you guys know for sure that Terra is in Jump City right now?"
"Yes Bumble Bee, we are very sure."
"How so?"
"Starfire and Beast Boy have been keeping regular tabs on her. Though they're not doing it because I ordered them to do it. It's more out of their personal interest actually. Can't blame them though…"
"…You said she lost her memory?"
"Beast Boy told us about the first time he found her. He talked to her directly. He said that she didn't remember him, her powers, her being a Titan, and everything else for that matter. She's just an ordinary girl now."
"Where was the last place you saw her?"
"In a local high-school. Like I said, she's an ordinary girl living an ordinary girl's lifestyle. The people around her don't seem to recognize her as Terra of the Titans though. Probably because she is so unassuming now that she has lost her powers, people have nothing to relate her with the old Terra. Heck, last I heard, she wasn't even using the name "Terra" anymore."
"Who could have done this?"
"We don't know. We have no means of knowing who, how or why. Truth is, we're not even sure that this Terra really is Terra."
Bumble Bee contemplated more than ever if she should tell Robin that she was having the exact same problem. She was sure that there was no need to tell Robin's Titans about the appearance of Terra in Steel City, much less in Titans Tower: East. But there she was, taking in a torrent of unbelievable information. This changes things.
Should she reveal to Robin this Terra that the Titans East has found? She knew there are still truckloads of questions that have been unanswered still. Telling Robin could potentially break the case wide open. Could she reveal Terra? Should she?
"What's the matter, Bumble Bee?" inquired Robin, "You're quiet all of a sudden."
Bumble Bee snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, noting. Nothing at all, Rob…"
"By the way, why are you asking all this questions about Terra? Do you know something I need to know?"
A decision had to be made then and there. Bumble Bee needed to decide what to do. She had to decide whether to tell him; yes or no. And only after a few seconds, she has already made a decision.
"Bumble Bee?" asked Robin again.
"…No, it's nothing at all…"
"Are you sure?"
"Well, it's kinda personal really. It's just that Terra is a real big hero to me, that's all."
"C'mon, Bumble Bee, that's all?"
"You see Robin, I only heard tales of her through the Hive academy back before the Titans East was formed. I would hear her exploits with you guys, while she was a Titan. How she was such a great heroine and how she is always looking after the little guy, as Speedy puts it. But then I would stories about her and Slade and how she tried to destroy the Teen Titans. But then, those stories would end at the time she sacrificed herself for the city, for you guys…"
"…"
"Even through the stories of the Hive academy students, she still sounded so…innocent. She was so vulnerable, before and after Slade controlled her. But even for all her frailties, for all her weaknesses, in the end she had so much resolve in her that she was completely ready and willing to give up her life for the things she cared for…"
"…Truthfully, she would put most of us, even in the 'superhero business', to shame. So few of us can match Terra's resolve."
"Yes, Robin. And for that, she has my respect."
"I can understand you're feelings Bumble Bee. And I promise you that if we ever do unlock this mystery involving her sudden 'resurrection', you will be one of the first people to know about what we have found out."
"That's cool, Rob. Thanks."
"No problem. Anyways, it's getting late. You should go to bed."
"Sure thing, and thanks again for your time, Rob."
"You're welcome, Bumble Bee. Goodnight."
And with that, the two cut off transmission. Bumble Bee leaned her head back and let out a long, exasperating sigh. What a night this turned out to be. More questions that needed to be answered, just what they needed. She wondered how she might break this news to the rest of the team. More importantly, how to break it to a certain terrakinetic geomorph.
It was something she had to deal with…but not tonight. She turned off the main computer and marched out of the room. Soon the boys will be back from their patrols and they will also want to hit the hay as soon as they walk in the door. That was where she decided she was going at that moment.
As she walked toward the exit, she contemplated on her answer to Robin's inquiry. It was partially untrue, the fact being that she was asking about Terra because of their current situation. But everything said was the truth. And she considered that a good enough reason to leave the decision to reveal Terra to Terra herself.
Terra will reveal herself when she is ready and Bumble Bee was willing to wait, no matter how long that might take.
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A little later. Outside the tower, on the rocky base.
Fallacy stood, staring up the tower in awe. She giggled softly in a perverse sense of humor. She turned around and looked behind her. There were four mech-rangers standing ready, courtesy of Professor Chang. They were not only there for back up though as the strange coffin-like device held by on of the Mech-rangers would attest.
The coffin was not like the last one they used. The last one was designed for cryogenic hibernation. The one that they brought along was simply a container with no special properties. It would have been no different if they had brought an actual coffin. However, Fallacy wished it was so. It would have served as a fitting prelude for things to come.
Fallacy knew the plan but reviewed it in her head non the less. All she had to do was to draw Terra out. That wouldn't be a problem since her talents were very much suited for the task. Once the girl is out, the Mech-rangers were to take care of the capturing detail.
It was the best time to start as any. Everyone of the Titans East has just fallen asleep in their beds, she could feel it. Now was the time to strike.
"I hope you've had good dreams, Lady of the earth," she said into the empty air, "for tonight, all you shall see are nightmares…"
With that, her cat-like eyes started to glow.
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Somewhere…
Terra.A voice called her, roused her from her sleep.
Terra.Her blue eyes shot open, suddenly awakened by the strange voice that seemed to have came from her own head. The voice was as clear but at the same time vague, both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The first thing she noticed: her bed was gone. Her room was gone. She was…somewhere else.
Only after a few moments of initial shock did she actually start to notice things. Her soft and comfy bed gave way to a hard concrete floor. She slowly got up from her lying position, the same position she went to sleep in. Once on her two feet again, she actually got a better view of where she might be.
There were mirrors. The whole room had walls made of mirror, kinda like a fun house. She saw her image in the mirrors, many times over. The images brought up another unusual thing, her clothes have changed. Terra looked at the mirrors then looked at herself to confirm. She was wearing her old uniform: Black shirt, work gloves, shorts, and boots.
"What…?" she asked into the empty air.
She looked around some more but found nothing of interest. As far as she was concerned, there were no visible entrances or exit to her little mirror room. She kept searching for any possible means of escape. After a few minutes of finding nothing, she was starting to get scared. But then, the voice came back, now muck clearer and much more recognizable.
"Terra!"
Terra swung around to the source of the voice. Her eyes nearly popped out of her eye sockets. It was Beast Boy, standing behind the glass of one of the mirrors.
"Beast Boy?"
"C'mon Terra, let's get a move on!" the animorph said from behind the glass, "We're all waiting for you…"
"W—what are you…?"
Beast Boy's image drifted backwards into the mirror and disappeared completely. The glass mirror that possessed the image of the animorph, slowly disappeared out of existence. Terra watched this in both awe and fear. Soon the entire pane of glass was completely gone and all that was left was a doorway. A dorr way to wherever.
"Beast Boy, wait!" yelled Terra as she ran out the door.
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Back at Titans Tower: East.
Terra stumbles out of her room, still in her sleep cloths. He eyes were closed and the expression on her face indicated that she was nowhere near any definable means of consciousness. Yet she stood as if she was conscious, moving like she would during the day.
Her somnambulistic body turned around suddenly in one direction. Her hand reached out to an apparently nonexistent object in the distance of the hallway.
"Beast Boy, wait!" she mumbled
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"Beast Boy, wait!" she yelled
Out into he empty hallway that was also filled from wall to wall with mirrors, Beast Boy was nowhere to be seen or heard. She was starting to think she really was in the fun house. She tried her hardest to remember anything. But she couldn't remember a thing for some reason. She couldn't remember how she had gotten here or where she was previously.
But somehow that didn't matter to her. She ran toward the direction she thought Beast Boy went down on. Her repeated, reflected imaged shown on nearly every mirror as she passed by them. She kept running down the hall. The place was vaguely familiar to her, as if she walked though someplace very similar. As she pressed on, she came to a junction.
"Beast Boy?" she called out.
She didn't receive any answers immediately. She stood there dumbly for a few moments not really sure which route to take. A few moments later, another presence made itself known.
"Friend Terra!" another familiar voice called out.
Terra swiveled her head in the direction of the voice. Starfire was hovering in mid-air, smiling back at Terra's bewildered expression.
"Starfire?"
"Friend, why do you linger?" said Starfire, "Come, you must make haste!"
"Wait, what's going on?"
"Come along, friend Terra! We eagerly await your presence among us…"
Starfire's image disappeared in to the dark hallway. Terra called out but didn't receive a response in return. Things were not getting any clearer for her at that point. She decided to go with whatever gut instinct that came to her. And right then, all that she felt she should do was to follow the image of her old friends.
Terra summoned up the nerve and ran after Starfire's fleeting image. Though she had only left Terra's line of sight just a few seconds ago, the Tamaranean princess was nowhere to be seen. Terra continued to move down the hallway in a more cautious pace in search of any sign of either Beast Boy or Starfire.
She continued to walk down the seemingly endless hallway of mirrors. Every turn she took filled her with more doubt and fear. Not knowing what was really going on, Terra was starting to get lost. And getting lost was, above all else, her biggest fear. Just as she was about to give up and try to run back to where she came, another voice made it self known.
"Yo, Terra, over here!"
Terra looked into the distance of the hallway she was in, Cyborg stood in the middle of the hallway looking rather casual in his stance.
"Cyborg? Why are you---? What is going on here?"
"What, are you just gonna keep on standing there?" said Cyborg, "Move that skinny little butt of yours and let's go!"
Cyborg's image slowly disappeared into an adjacent wall. Terra called out again but Cyborg's image had already disappeared into the wall. Terra went to the specific spot where she thought Cyborg was standing on. She then inspected the adjacent wall where she thought she saw Cyborg disappear into. It all she saw was her reflection on one of the mirrors that lined the walls.
She stared into the mirror dumbly for a while. She was at a complete loss of words, as well as options. Thing never seemed to become clear and because of that, she could almost swear that she was dreaming. But everything seemed so real. At least her mind told her that it was real.
Suddenly, two panes of glass mirrors slid away from each other. Terra took a cautious step back. When the two panes were fully opened, they revealed a small square room, it's walls also lined with mirrors. Terra contemplated her options from there. Enter or go back. Not much of a choice when you think about it.
Terra took a bold step forward.
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In Aqualad's bedroom.
"Dah!"
The Atlantean woke up with a start. It wasn't like he woke up from a really bad nightmare, but instead it looked like he was woken up by an unexpected and sudden stimulus of some kind. He clutched his temples with one hand as if he felt a sting there a little while ago.
"What in Hades' name was--?"
A stinging sensation suddenly went through his head.
"Dah! Again? What is going on here?" he inquired into the empty air.
Aqualad quickly got out of bed and stood up in the darkness of his room. He stood still for a moment trying to get a fix on exactly what was bothering him. He felt this feeling on seldom occasions in the past, that much was familiar to him. Now he just needed to remember what that feeling stood for and what triggered it.
One last time, the stinging feeling shot through his mind. In that split second when he received that feeling, a brief image of Terra walking in a hallway of mirrors graced his vision. It was too fleeting for Aqualad to put into memory but that one instance led to a very important realization.
"Someone is using psychic powers," he said, "But who is it? And was that Terra I just saw?…Doesn't matter now. Someone's messing with us and it ain't right. I've gotta move!"
Aqualad quickly dashed to his door, opened it and exited out into the dimly lit hallway. The hallway was only lit by low-radiant night lights that gave the hallway a very eerie feeling. Aqualad looked around and didn't find anything unusual at first. The he remembered, Terra was in the instantaneous image of his. With that though he made a beeline towards Terra's room.
On the way there, he passed by the elevator. He did a double-take as he saw Terra standing in front of the elevator doors. He called out to her.
"Terra!"
She didn't respond. She proceeded to enter the elevator. Aqualad ran towards her. The doors were already half-way closed when he reached the elevator and he couldn't stop them. He caught a brief glimpse of Terra. Aqualad was surprised to see her looking like she was still asleep yet standing on her own will as it seemed. The doors completely closed.
Aqualad stepped back, looking confused. Terra wasn't sleep-walking wasn't she? What about that strange sensation he got in his head that indicated some kind of foul play involved? Aqualad looked up at the display above the elevator doors. It said that the elevator was going down.
"Dammit, what in Hades is going on here?" he asked to no-one in particular.
Knowing he had not time to waste waiting to use the elevator again, Aqualad mad his way to the nearby emergency stairwell.
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Outside, on the rocky crags.
"Ugh!"
Fallacy got a sudden jolt from some kind of interference. She knew that the only time this kind of feeling took place is when another with telepathic abilities managed to somehow pick up on her mental frequency. That can only mean that she was detected by another telepath. Considering who she was up against, there was no need to second guess who that might be.
"It would seem the Atlantean prince has noticed me," she said, "but it also seems that he comes alone and that he doesn't know my intentions."
She looked behind her to the four Mech-rangers. They looked like they were ready to take on anything that would interfere with the operation. They were all armed with razor-sharp broad swords and were programmed with the highest degree of combat tactics. They were a force to be reckoned with.
Fallacy knew of the incident when one of them was destroyed by all five of the Titans East. But she doubt a single Titan could handle four at the same time, especially when they had his friend as a hostage. Aqualad won't be a problem, she finally concluded.
"The Atlantean won't pose a threat," she said, "However, he still needs to be deterred. And I think I know how…heh heh heh."
Fallacy's eyes glowed brighter.
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Back in the hallway of mirrors.
Terra exited the into a large mirrored room with a very high ceiling. She looked around to observe the room more better. The walls again were lined with mirrors and she saw her image in them many times over. Only the ceiling and floor were bare of any reflective surfaces.
She started to walk forward. Every step she took eerily echoed throughout the entire space. She kept looking around, specifically searching for any sign of her old friends. She couldn't find any sign of them or anyone else for that matter. Her fear of being alone slowly crept back up her spine and she didn't like it. In a desperate action, she called out to anybody who may be there.
"Hello!" she cried out, "Anybody there?"
She received no response for quite a while. The fear almost took over her when she finally got a response.
"Over here, Terra!"
Terra swung her head to where the voice came from. It came from one far end of the hall she was in. There, she saw Robin and Raven.
"You're pretty slow, you know that?" said Raven. "You know I get cranky when you make me wait."
"Robin! Raven!" Terra cried out to them, "Why are you guys here? What's going on?"
"You don't belong here Terra," said Robin, "Come with us. It's with us you belong to. You are a Titan after all."
"But…why---?"
"We're waiting for you Terra…"
Robin and Raven's images slowly disappeared into the wall behind them. Terra watched as the two completely vanished into and behind the wall like a fading light. Terra tried to call out to them again as she ran after their fleeting forms.
"Guys, wait!" she yelled.
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"Guys, wait!" she mumbled.
Terra's sleep-walking form stumbled forward in the darkness of the entrance hall, the large hallway that was directly lead into by the main entrance into the tower. Terra was walking in a hurried pace yet zombie-like towards main door which lead to the outside.
When Terra was halfway through the hallway, Aqualad came barreling out of a nearby fire escape door. He makes it to the center of the hall a distance away from Terra who was almost at the door. Aqualad stared at the girl worriedly. He knew that there was no way Terra happened to be just sleep-walking all the way to the exit of the tower.
He knew once and for all that there was some foul play going on here. and he knew that if Terra made it out that door, things would only get nasty. He had to stop her from reaching the outside and whoever maybe waiting for her.
"Terra!" he called out to her.
Terra stopped and turned around to face Aqualad. Aqualad walked quickly up to Terra. He was surprised to see Terra's expression. Despite the fact that her eyes were still closed, it was as if that she was actually staring back at Aqualad.
"Terra, can you hear me? Are you alright?"
She didn't respond to him. Instead, her face slowly twisted into an expression of anger and hatred. All the while she continued to keep her eyes closed and her line of sight onto Aqualad. Aqualad stared at her worriedly. He was getting uneasy from her look.
"Terra, snap out of it! You're being mind-controlled somehow. You have to see past the illusion! C'mon say something!"
"…Slade…" said Terra.
"…What!"
"So, you want to try and stop me, Slade?" said Terra towards Aqualad.
"Terra, are talking to me or?…aw, crap."
Terra's fist flew up towards Aqualad's face.
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Terra's fist flew up towards Slade's face.
Slade blocked with both arms. He then quickly shoved Terra away from him. Terra stumbled backwards but soon recovered. She stood ready for anything Slade might throw her way. Slade looked her dead in the eye with apprehension.
"Where do you think you're going, apprentice?" he slurred.
"Shut up!" Terra shot back, "I'm not your apprentice."
"Don't lie to yourself, Terra. I am your true master, now and forever."
"You're no-one's master, Slade. You're nothing but a manipulative low-life!"
Terra charged Slade once again, putting her limited martial arts training to good use. She kicked high towards his face but missed as Slade bent backwards to avoid it. Terra spun around with the momentum from her leg and brought up her other leg. This time, Slade blocked with one of his wrist.
Terra backed off then came back with a fist to the chest. Slade grabbed her oncoming fist with right hand and pulled Terra in close. He then spun to her back and used his left hand to grab her shoulder. Once behind Terra he pulled on her arm using her shoulder as leverage. Terra was stuck at that position unable to move her arm.
"Forget it, apprentice," he said, "you cannot defeat me with those moves. I taught you everything you know, remember?"
"The only thing you ever taught me," said Terra, "was how to hate the people I cared for…"
Terra reached up with her free arm and grabbed Slade's head. Using her legs, she tripped him. With all that leveraged she threw him over her head, forcing him to let go of her arm in the process. Slade somehow landed on his.
"Oof!"
Terra stood ready, messaging her hurt shoulder back into shape. Slade turned around and faced the girl.
"…and for that," Terra continued, "I will never stop hating you."
"Regardless of what you may feel," said Slade, "I am still your master and because of that you will never surpass me."
"I had a true master once, and it was never you, Slade."
She took an unusual stance. Slade stood ready while eyeing Terra curiously. Terra stood in a ready position reminiscent of those kung-fu masters usually seen in the movies. Terra looked like she was about to do something though she stood still as a statue.
In a sudden burst of speed, Terra charged in on Slade. Se attacked with a low sweeping kick aimed at his feet. Slade hopped up and back to avoid being tripped. Terra came spinning around with a hook to Slade's chest. Slade blocked it successfully. Again he pushed Terra back.
However, Terra expected that a blocked with her arms to absorb most of the force of Slade's push. With both her arms, she forced apart Slade's arms as he tried to push her back. With his arms wide, Slade was vulnerable.
Terra back-flipped, sending her feet right up Slade's chin. The attack was powerful enough to knock the villain on his back, completely stunned. Terra landed perfectly on her two feet once again. That was a move she hadn't used in a long time. Seeing that Slade was stunned from her attack, she took this opportunity to rush to where she saw Robin and Raven disappear two.
As she approached, two large mirror panels slid away from each other and opened a path to what looked like the outside. In the distance, Terra saw the Teen Titans, Robin, Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy all standing there as if they were really waiting for her to come.
"C'mon Terra," called out Robin, "we're here…"
Terra didn't hesitate anymore, swiftly making her way to the five teens that stood only a few meters from where she stood. Suddenly her vision turned blurry for a split second. She stopped in her tracks. Her vision blurred again, accompanied by a spontaneous discoloration of the things around her. A sudden jolt shot through her head then her vision goes completely black.
Moments later, Terra groggily opened her eyes and waited for the blur her vision to die out. As soon as her vision became sharp again, she went bug-eyed. Standing in the place of the Teen Titans were four tall, look-alike men in black. In the middle stood a young woman in a strangely designed, tight-fitting, leather suit.
"Good evening, O Lady of the earth," said Fallacy.
Fallacy tossed a small pellet at Terra's feet. It exploded into a strangely colored mist which Terra could not avoid. The mist completely envelops Terra. Terra dashed out of the mist after a moment, coughing and breathing heavily. But the girl doesn't stand for long. Terra uncontrollably stumbled around like a drunkard until finally, slowly collapsing on the rocky ground.
"Take her," said Fallacy.
Two mech-rangers immediately acted upon the order. One carried the heavy coffin and set it on the ground next to Terra's unconscious figure. It then opened the coffin which showed an indentation where a body can be place along with built in shackles to hold the said body in place. The second picked up Terra's body and placed her inside the coffin. After shackling her into place, they closed the coffin.
While all this was taking place, Aqualad groggily walked out the door and into the outdoors, clutching his chin in pain. He witnessed partially the capture of Terra. His reaction was predictable enough.
"Hey! who are you?" he yelled out, "What are you doing with Terra?"
Fallacy looked at him. She silently grumbled in annoyance.
"Eliminate him!" she ordered.
The two remaining mech-rangers unsheathed their sword and charged Aqualad head-long. One, that was ahead of the other, swung down on Aqualad who evaded by stepping to the side. Aqualad countered by swiftly kicking the mech-ranger in the face and away from him.
The second came at Aqualad swinging horizontally. Aqualad ducked to avoid being gutted alive. Aqualad came back up with a powerful shove that forced the mech-ranger to stumble backwards. The mech-ranger didn't fall and soon found its footing and stood straight again. Aqualad threw a fist into its face. The mech-ranger finally fell on its back.
The first mech-ranger, which has recovered, rushed at Aqualad from his side, thrusting its sword like a spear. Aqualad turned and saw the incoming attack just in time. He sucked in his stomach in and drew his midsection away from the blade just in time. With one hand, he grabbed the mech-ranger's wrists and pushed the sword away. With his other hand, he elbowed the mech-soldier right in the face, throwing it back.
From behind Aqualad, the second mech-ranger recovered and came swinging down at Aqualad. Aqualad noticed a little late and couldn't turn around. Instead, he dropped down on one knee just in time to avoid the blade splitting his head in two. Aqualad threw in hands up and managed to grab the mech-ranger's wrist, stopping the sword from going down any further. Then, using his Atlantean strength, Aqualad, threw the mech-ranger, by the wrist, towards a nearby rock.
The mech-ranger slammed hard into the rock, causing several deep cracks to form and chunks flying off. The mech-ranger soon recovered, however. Aqualad readied himself but was almost caught off-guard by the first mech-ranger as it swung away at him. Aqualad nearly lost his footing as he stumbled backwards to avoid being cut.
Meanwhile, as the fighting continued, Fallacy walked up to the coffin containing Terra's unconscious form. She leaned down to it and opened a hidden window near the head of the coffin and stared inside. Terra's face looked so peaceful as she slumbered. Fallacy smiled sinisterly. She stood back up and looked at the two mech-rangers that stood waiting for her orders.
"Take her to the boat and secure her there," she said to them.
The two mech-rangers picked up the coffin and scurried away to the ocean side. Fallacy watched them leave until they were gone from sight. She then turned her sight back at the fight between the two mech-rangers and Aqualad.
Aqualad knocked away one mech-ranger with a swift kick. Then he was nearly skewered by the other but managed to evade by jumping high into the air and far back. He landed some thirty-five or so feet from the two mech-rangers who stood ready with their swords. Aqualad clutched his left shoulder which had a not-so-deep cut.
The two mech-soldiers were tough and relentless. Aqualad knew this was a loosing battle. He had to think of something, and he had to be quick about it. He made a gamble, then dropped down to one knee and placed his palm on the ground at his feet. Using his hydrokinetic abilities, he searched, searched, searched, and finally found what he was looking for: an underground stream.
At that moment, the two mech-rangers raised their swords once again and charged towards Aqualad. Aqualad watched them coming but did not move from his place. Instead, he concentrated on his palm on th ground. The mech-rangers came closer, and he kept on concentrating.
Finally, when the two mech-rangers were about to bring their swords down on Aqualad, a very ,very high pressured torrent of water exploded out of the ground like a geyser. The extreme amount of pressure forced one of the mech-rangers to fall on its back and the other to launch into the air like a rocket.
The first flew high up into the air flailed around in the air helplessly unable to control its flight. It reached a peak height at about halfway up the Tower then it came down again, falling like a sack full of batteries. Upon impacting the ground, the mech-ranger exploded apart into thousands of pieces that littered the ground.
Meanwhile, the second mech-ranger was just getting up. It readied its sword and was about to strike again at Aqualad. But it never got a chance to do so after the first mech-ranger's sword, which was still in the air, cam down tip-first, skewering the second mech ranger on the ground straight through its chest. The mech-ranger didn't move for a while until finally it slumped to the ground, dead.
Aqualad watched a little longer to make sure that the last mech-ranger was really out of commission. Satisfied, he turned his sights behind him, where Fallacy stood looking back at him.
"Who are you!" he demanded.
Fallacy just smiled back at him. Her eyes glowed brightly. A second later, a huge flash of white blinded Aqualad. He closed his eyes while blocking it with an arm at the same time.
When he reopened his eyes, Aqualad saw nothing. Not 'nothing' as in not a thing worth giving interest, but 'nothing' as in completely nothingness. Aqualad found himself standing in the middle of an empty void. There was no ground, no sky, nothing at all. Yet he stood in place.
"What the?…" he muttered
"Just give up, Prince of Atlantis…"
Aqualad swung his head around in no particular direction. That voice came from absolutely nowhere. Aqualad recognized the voice as the one belonging to that girl who captured Terra. She was the one with psychic powers, he knew that now.
"Who are you?" Aqualad asked into the void, "What do you want with Terra?"
"Who I am is of no importance to you, Prince of Atlantis," the voice said, "And as for the girl, she will fulfill the role of which she was created for. You and your friends are of no consequence to us, anymore?"
"Us? Are you with Brother Blood and Professor Chang?"
"Once my masters are done with the Lady of the earth, you will not be able to stop our dominance of this world. The world shall fall to its knees and we shall mold it as we see fit. The girl is but a tempered piece of stone and will serve no other purpose when we are finished with her."
"A tempered piece of stone? What are you talking about?
"The truth is not for you to know, for soon enough you and your friend shall dealt with as well…"
With that last statement. The void around Aqualad disappeared. Aqualad soon found himself standing on the rocky grounds outside the tower once again. Everything was unchanged except for the fact that the girl in the leather suit was gone. Aqualad concluded that she has gotten away. Further more she has gotten away with Terra.
He stomped his foot on the ground in frustration. "Dammit!"
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Author's note: This chapter was finished a lot sooner than I thought. From the reviews I've been getting, I could see that some of you out there have already pretty much got a handle on my plot. But don't think you have this story figured out just yet. There will be plenty of surprises to come. In the meantime, Pls. R&R!