I paused the screen on Robin, dressed in his new Slade-inspired jumpsuit. As the credits for "Apprentice, Part 1" flashed across the screen, I buried my face in my hands and shook my head.

I guess I wasn't very secretive about my identity. I thought. How could I not assume that someone would find out about my knowledge of the show? Now Robin is working for Slade to protect the Titans and keep Slade away from me. I reached the same ending, but the reasons were completely different... and it's all my fault.

I uncovered my face and scowled.

No. Don't think like that. Sure, maybe I messed up, but I can fix this. I can help Robin escape Slade's blackmail and warn the other Titans about the probes.

I stood up from my desk and paced the floor. But that's what Slade wants. He wants me to prove my supposed worth, swoop in, and save the day...

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. Then... what should I do?

I sat back down at my desk and pulled up 'Final Exam' again. I fast-forwarded all the way to the ending scene, featuring Slade.

"I assure you, such failures are not tolerated within the H.I.V.E. Once the agents have been retrieved, they will be disciplined. Strictly disciplined." the H.I.V.E. worker, an older woman with snow white hair pulled back tightly in a sleek bun, said.

"Actually... Your agents served my plans quite well." Slade said, emerging from the shadows. His body was cloaked in darkness, and the only thing you could see was his single eye. "I never expected them to succeed. They did, however, uncover something new."

Slade pulled out a remote and pressed a button. The large screen behind the H.I.V.E. worker lit up with an image of me during Attack Pattern Alpha. It started with me pulling the Titans away from the trap, followed by being chased by Jinx, then me coaching the Titans from the safety of the alleyway using Beast Boy's communicator.

"Cyborg! Behind you!" I said. "Move out of the way, Robin!"

"Bring me your agents. I'd like to hear more about this girl." Slade said.

A chill ran down my spine. The scene changed to the Teen Titans gathered in Ops. Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg sat on the couch while Robin stood in front of them. He turned to the others, scowled, and crossed his arms.

"What did you guys say to Ciela? She ran past me in tears." Robin said.

"You should ask him." Beast Boy said, shoving his thumb accusingly at Cyborg. Robin looked to Cyborg.

"I told her that all of this was her fault. I didn't mean it! We were all stressed about a team member being missing in action and our home getting taken over by those three weirdos!" Cyborg said.

"Ciela told us just a fraction of what her life is like. We don't know what she has to go through. You managed to push every one of her buttons." Raven said.

"Way to put salt on the open wound. She may never come back!" Beast Boy said. Cyborg sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I do hope she does. She is a wonderful person to engage conversation with." Starfire said. "We must apologize to her if she returns."

"Why do I have to apologize? I didn't do anything!" Beast Boy said.

"Actually..." Robin said. He smiled. "I think I know how to make it up to her."

The screen faded to black, and the abrupt boom of the ending credits music startled me. I didn't know which expression to display: happiness for the Titans' decision to add me to the team or fear from Slade first learning about me.

This, unfortunately, was just the beginning of dealing with Slade and his schemes. Slade loses Robin as his apprentice, but he gets a new one soon after. Then, much later, he would become apprentice to someone else.

I watched "Apprentice, Part 2". After it finished, I paused it at the beginning of the credits, rubbed my temples, and sat back in my chair. I glanced at the clock. I still had an hour left before I entered the Teen Titans' world again. However, I was exhausted from stressing about this upcoming episode. Maybe I'd be able to sleep in my bed for the first time in almost two weeks, even if it was a short amount of time. I crawled into bed and turned off my lamp. The light of my computer screen dimmed and went black.


"Robin? Please answer, Robin! Where are you?" My communicator buzzed on my bedside table.

"Starfire, he's not gonna pick up. If he was, he'd have done it by now. Plus, you're starting to give me a headache." Beast Boy said.

"But why does be not respond? Where could he be?"

"I've been checking out the sewers where we last saw him go. There was a big tussle between Robin and Cinderblock, but that's all I can gather. I can't tell who won or where they went." Cyborg said.

"No sign of him in the Tower either. His locator is still offline. I've been monitoring all the frequencies, but he hasn't checked in." Raven said.

"Oh, we should never have left Robin to do battle alone!" Starfire said.

"Well, he wasn't alone. Ciela offered to go after him and help him out against Slade." Cyborg said. "Once she gets back, she can tell us about what's happened to Robin."

"I fear that is it not good. You did not see her running out of the sewers. She was very afraid. Something bad must have happened. What of the Chronoton Detonator?"

"It was a decoy to lure us away from Robin. And we fell for it." Raven said.

"But why would Slade want to separate us from Robin?"

"Whatever the reason is, it must've been why Ciela went after him." Beast Boy said.

The communicator beeped loudly and I jumped. "Titans, trouble!" Cyborg cried.

I brushed my fingers against one of my pistols. I know Robin is trying to fight against Slade, but if he wants to keep his friends alive, he has to obey. Would I have to use these against him? I hope not.


The four Titans returned and sat on the couch. They glanced at each other in confusion. They had just encountered Robin for the first time since he disappeared. He was ordered by Slade to steal a high-tech thermal blaster. He succeeded and got away. Beast Boy jumped up from the couch and paced back and forth.

"There are only two logical explanations for what's going on." he said. "One, Robin's been replaced by an evil robot double. Two, he's another innocent victim of zombie mind-control."

"Even if something as stupid as that happened, I would've been able to sense it." Raven said.

"My scanners confirmed his biometrics. That was the real Robin." Cyborg said.

"Lies! That was not Robin! He is our friend, and there is no possible way he would ever do something as horrible as turn to evil!" Starfire said.

"You may not like it, Starfire, and believe me, none of us do, but Robin's a criminal now. And just like any other criminal, we have to stop him."

Starfire covered her mouth and turned away. She looked up at me. "Ciela! You have returned! Please, you must inform us of what has happened to Robin! Tell them the truth! Robin is not lost, correct?"

"I..." I sighed. "You're going to have to trust Robin. I know it seems bad, but he's still the same Teen Titan that you guys know."

The room filled with sirens and flashing red lights.

"It's him." Beast Boy said from the computer.

"Let's go." Cyborg said.

Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg hurried out of the room.

"Starfire." I said. "You're right about Robin. Slade is forcing him to be his apprentice."

"But why?"

"To save you. There's something really bad inside you and the others, and it's capable of killing you. Slade has his finger on the button, and the only way to keep him from pressing it is if Robin does his dirty work."

"What happened the last time I saw you? You never did share such information with me; you were preoccupied with weeping. Was it because of this?" Starfire said.

"Slade knows about me. He knows I'm from another world and he knows about my knowledge of the show. He... tried to make me his apprentice, but Robin stepped in the way and took my place. None of this would've happened if I hadn't been so careless."

"It is not your fault, Ciela. Slade is the one who is making Robin do such horrible things."

I nodded. "Let's go. The others need to know, too."


We headed to Wayne Enterprises, where Robin was striking next.

"Go on ahead." I said. The Titans nodded and entered the building. I jogged to the side and looked up at the ladder connected to the ledge. It led all the way up to the roof. I took a deep breath, shook out my arms and legs, and gripped the bars. One step at a time, I began my climb up the ladder.

Don't look down... Don't look down.

A breeze shifted me slightly to the side, and I looked down. I was more than halfway up, and the distance between here and the ground made me dizzy. I gasped and pressed myself closer to the ladder. I took another deep breath and kept climbing. At the last ladder ring, I rolled onto the roof and panted.

A tile shot out from the roof, and I sat up. Robin leaped from the hole and onto the roof. Our eyes met.

"Robin..." I said. I climbed to my feet.

He turned around and sprinted away.

"Wait!"

"Robin!" The other Titans stood on the other side of him. Cyborg stepped forward. "We don't want to fight you, man. We just want to talk!"

Robin leaped into the air and shoved his foot into Cyborg's chest, knocking him back to the ground.

"I guess that's no longer an option." Beast Boy said. He transformed into a gorilla and chased Robin around. Robin jumped on top of the Y in the neon "WAYNE" sign. My hands slowly went to my gun holsters, but I couldn't find the will to remove my weapons. I stood back and watched the fighting continue.

Robin threw punches at Raven, but she blocked them with her magic. Cyborg summoned his cannon and pointed it at Robin, but after a few seconds of trying to aim, he dispelled it and threw a punch at him instead. Beast Boy transformed into a ram and charged into Robin, knocking him to the ground. He rolled to the side of the building.

"Dude, are you okay?" Beast Boy jogged over to Robin. Robin swung his foot and launched Beast Boy back into Cyborg.

Robin jumped onto the top of the "WAYNE" sign and ran down to the E.

"Stop!" Starfire cried. She held her arm out to Robin. Her hand glowed with a starbolt. Robin lifted his arm and pointed the thermal blaster, which was attached to his wrist, at Starfire. For a few moments, no one made a move. "I do not know why you are acting like this, Robin, but I cannot bare to live in a world where we fight. If you are truly evil..." Starfire lowered her arm down and bowed her head. "Do what you must."

Robin lowered the blaster. "Starfire, no... I..." He winced and clutched his ear.

One by one, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven were overcome with orange and red spots, a sign that Slade had activated the Nanoscopic Probes. I gasped as my friends fell to the ground around me. Robin held Starfire in his arms.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Robin cried in his earpiece.

Don't just stand there, Ciela! Do something!

My shaky hand went to my pistol, and I pulled it out. Robin laid Starfire on the ground and pointed his thermal blaster at him. As the energy prepared to escape the blaster, I aimed my pistol at him. I pulled the trigger, and the laser shot through the blaster. Robin cried out and stumbled back, clutching his wrist. He looked down at me. I aimed my pistol at him while reaching for the other one.

"Leave. Now!" I shouted. My voice cracked.

Our eyes remained locked on each others' for several seconds. Finally, Robin picked up Starfire, jumped off the sign, and set her on the ground, maintaining eye contact with me. My gun followed him. He stood up cautiously, turned around, and jumped off the roof. I looked to the Titans. I heaved a sigh at the sight of their regular appearances. Slade had called off the probes. They were safe... for now.

"Okay, that was weird." Beast Boy said. "What just happened?"

Starfire sat up and rubbed her head. She looked around. "Where did Robin go?"

The Titans looked to me. I realized my pistol was still raised. I holstered it and shook my head.

"He's gone. Which means I can tell you guys about what's going on." I said. "Robin is being forced by Slade to be his apprentice. The Chronoton Detonator from before was more than a decoy. What just happened to you were things called Nanoscopic Probes. Slade infected you with them, and with a push of a button, he can kill you guys. Slade's using those probes to blackmail Robin and make him work for him. At first, Slade wanted me to be his apprentice. He found out about me. I ran away, and I left Robin to take my place and bear the burden."

"You wouldn't have been able to handle being Slade's apprentice, especially with your conditions. It was the right choice for you to run away." Raven said.

I clenched my fist. "Not anymore. I'm tired of cowering and running away." I said. I turned around and walked towards the ladder.

"Where are you going?" Beast Boy said.

"I'm going to find Slade. It was my fault that you guys got in this mess. I should've warned you about the detonator sooner and prevented this. I've been blaming myself for what's been happening. What good will it bring us if I stand around and complain? It's Slade that I hate. It's these Nanoscopic Probes that I hate. I'm tired... of hating myself."

Starfire rested a hand on my shoulder. "Let us join you."

"You'll get hurt if you do. What if the next time Slade uses those probes, it destroys you all?"

"You think a couple of mini, life-threatening robots are going to stop me?" Beast Boy said.

"We're not going to come all this way to just give up and go home." Cyborg said. "Let's kick Slade's butt together."

I smiled and nodded. "All right, you win. The sewer is this way."


We walked alongside the narrow concrete path of the sewers and to the giant hole from the fight I had against Cinderblock in the previous episode. Passing the destroyed pillars, we headed towards Slade's lair. The recent memories of being there caught up with me again, and I began to shake.

"Do not fear." Starfire said. "I assure you, we will triumph."

We arrived at the open doorway, which still lacked a door from when Robin blew it off.

"We have to get that switch away from Slade." Raven said.

"It's attached to his arm. Destroying it is our best option." I said.

"If that's an excuse for me to hit him, I'm all for it." Beast Boy said.

"Titans, go!" Cyborg said, and the four ran into the door.

I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. Just relax. Everything will be okay.

But what if everything is not okay? What if I screw everything up like before? What if Slade presses that button and sends all my friends to their graves?

No. The booming voice of my subconscious startled me. They'll survive this. You'll survive this. You've come all this way. You can do it. I can do it.

The screams of my friends filled my ears. Tears filled my eyes, and I clenched my fists. I yanked a pistol from its gun holster and burst into the room.

"Enough!" I cried, aiming the barrel at Slade. I pulled the trigger. The laser zoomed in what felt like slow motion as it attacked Slade's arm. The remote on his arm shattered to pieces and fell to the ground. I grabbed my other pistol and hurled it at a large orb that crackled with red energy, which commanded the probes. It smashed into the side and clattered to the ground. The machine malfunctioned and powered off.

My eyes widened, and I lowered my gun. I looked to my friends. They were unconscious and on the ground, but I saw them breathing; they were okay.

I... I did it. I really did it...

I ran over to reclaim my second pistol, but a hand grabbed it and picked it up.

"How disappointing." Slade said, tossing the pistol between his hands. "Here I was hoping that we'd be able to work together... but it looks like I'll have to take drastic measures."

Slade lifted the gun and pointed it at me. My blood chilled as I stared at the small, glowing red hole. Slade pulled the trigger.

The gun powered down. Nothing happened. "What?!" Slade said, and he pulled the trigger several times, only to have the same results.

"I programmed your DNA into the guns; you're the only one who can use them." Cyborg's words surfaced in my mind, flooding my body with relief.

"Sorry, Slade, it looks like you don't know everything about me." I said. I shot a laser at him, and it hit him in the chest. He stumbled back and laid his hand over the dent the laser created. Brimming with confidence, I charged at Slade and threw a punch at him.

Slade recovered and grabbed my fist. He twisted my arm, and pain shot up my shoulder. I cried out and wriggled around to try and ease the pain, but all it did was increase it.

"Very clever, Ciela. Or should I say... Fattela." Slade said. I choked on my air. Slade shoved me to the ground, and I groaned and gripped my shoulder. "You thought life in your world was harsh? You thought you could escape your reality through this television show? You're in the big leagues now, little girl. Once everyone finds out who you are, you'll be an even bigger freak than you are now, if that's possible. Just accept it, Ciela: you're pathetic, incompetent, worthless!"

I pushed myself up with my uninjured arm and grabbed my pistol. "Nearly my whole life, I've heard those words. I've been nothing but a victim who refused to do anything about it." Slowly, I rolled my shoulder, gritting my teeth from the pain, and climbed to my feet. "I'm sick and tired of people's lies! My name is not Fattela. My name is Ciela Brunson, and I'm a member of the Teen Titans!"

Slade growled and lunged at me. I ducked under him and shoved my shoulder into his torso. He tumbled to the floor. I ran to my other pistol. Slade reached out and grabbed my ankle. I gasped as I fell to the ground, landing on my bad shoulder. I cried out as tears filled my eyes.

"You can't escape the truth, Ciela." Slade said.

I crawled towards my pistol, which was just a few feet away. "I'm not. I'm embracing the truth: I'm strong, I'm smart, and I'm good enough!"

Slade lunged again. I grabbed my second pistol and brought them together, transforming them into my bazooka rifle. I lifted the rifle up and pointed it at Slade as he flew at me. I pulled the trigger, and a large laser hit Slade in the stomach. It exploded, creating a thick cloud of smoke. I covered my mouth and nose to prevent the smoke from filling my lungs.

"Another day, Titans." Slade's voice echoed in the air. The smoke around me began to clear, and Slade was gone. "Another day."

The room darkened and began to rumble. Slade had activated a switch to cause his lair to crumble. The area flashed between red and pitch black, allowing me every other second to see. In one instance, I saw Cyborg grab the broken probe machine. Raven grabbed Beast Boy and flew him to the exit in another. A hand grabbed mine and pulled me to my feet.

"Let's go home." Robin said, my bazooka rifle tucked in his other arm.

I nodded and ran faster than ever before.


I stepped out from the staircase and into the morning air. From the roof, I could see much of Jump City, as well as the peeking sunrise. Stopping Slade took all night, and my eyes fought to close. I crossed my arms and observed the view.

"Are you doing okay?" I turned and saw Robin walking towards me.

"Yeah. I'm fine, actually." I said.

Robin stopped at my side. "You've sure come a long way since the first time we met."

I nodded. "I've still got a long way to go, however. I still have my doubts. I think I'm finally learning how to overcome my biggest obstacle: myself."

"You'll always have our support. We all saw the potential you really have. You just needed your eyes opened a little bit to see it, too."

"Yeah..." I turned to Robin and dropped my arms to my sides. "Robin... can I, um... ask you something?"

"What?"

"Can I... Can I have a hug?"

Robin turned to me with a raised eyebrow. He smiled. "Sure."

I reeled back in surprise. I took a cautious step towards him. Robin grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into the hug. I winced uncomfortably, but after a few moments, I hugged his torso tightly. The physical touch soothed me, like finally satisfying a craving.

"Thanks, Robin. For everything." I said. "I can't wait to continue throughout the series with you guys."

"You'll always be welcome, as a Teen Titan and a friend." Robin said.

A tear strolled down my cheek. I closed my eyes as everything faded to black.


I opened my eyes and sat up in bed. The sunrise blasted through my curtains, coloring them yellow and leaking into my bedroom. I walked over and opened the curtains, flooding my room with light.

I turned my head and looked at my reflection. I walked over and stared at myself. I tugged at my dark pink pajama shirt and tossed my bed-head hair onto my right shoulder.

You know... I thought. I gave myself a small smile. I don't look half-bad.

A red glare hit my eyes through the reflecting glass. I squinted and looked down at the source of the glare. I gasped and took off my necklace.

"What in the...?" I mumbled. The T of my necklace was no longer gold, but red. I licked my finger and tried to scrub it off, but the color didn't budge. The necklace felt the same, and the T didn't feel like it was painted over with.

I glanced over at my computer, walked over, and jogged the mouse. The screen lit up with the paused credits for "Apprentice, Part 2".

Season 1 of Teen Titans is complete. I thought. I glanced at my necklace and stared at the red T. Maybe this has something to do with it. The only way to find out is to keep going through the series. I smiled and wrapped my fingers around the necklace. I can't wait.


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Season 1 is officially done! Four more seasons and the movie left to go! Ciela's still got a long journey ahead of her.

The ending theme for season 1 is "Paradise" by Coldplay.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy Ciela and her adventures!