The side of a power plant exploded, and several of Slade's robot commandos trailed out. One of them carried a large, cylinder item. Pulling out a birdarang, Robin threw it at one of the robots. It smashed into the side of its face, knocking off that half of its mask. After its recoil, it glared at us, loose wires dangling from its motherboard. The birdarang flew back to us, and Robin reached out and caught it. When we caught all the robots' attention, Terra unleashed a pile of floating rocks at them, knocking many to the ground and grinding them into the dirt.

"Titans, go!" Robin cried, and the others rushed towards the robots.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to bring Terra along?" I said, pulling out an energy pistol and shooting one robot in the chest. It pierced clean through, leaving a hole in its center, and it short-circuited and collapsed. "You're giving the others false hopes that she'll make this team."

"Considering you haven't even told me why Terra is a bad idea, this is as best as I could manage. I've just been going off of you saying that she's a big no-no. Besides, Beast Boy almost had a heart attack when I said she couldn't join. I'd rather not imagine what he'd do if I shooed her away completely."

I watched Raven toss a two-ton rock at Terra, and she directed it at a cluster of robots. They scattered in different directions as the rock hit the ground and rumbled like an earthquake. One robot pulled out a circular gun and shot multiple lightning bolt-shaped lasers at Raven. She summoned a shield with her astral magic, but it still knocked her back. Another robot turned on its rocket shoes and shot down the rock Terra shoot on, knocking her off her feet and to the ground.

Two robots approached her, but Beast Boy came to her aid. As a giant gorilla, he roared and beat his hairy fists against his chest. He thrust one fist into one of the robots, knocking it back to the ground. The other rushed towards him, but he grabbed it and ripped it in half. He tossed the two pieces aside, swept Terra into his arms bridal-style, and transformed back into his human self.

"Probably that." I said.

"Yo!" Cyborg called over his shoulder as he tangoed with a robot. "How about we cut the chitchat and focus more on the butt-kicking?!"

Robin pulled out his bo-staff and sprinted towards a small group of robot commandos. He leaped into the air and knocked the staff into one, sending it back into its buddies. A few commandos approached me. I pulled out my other energy pistol and smashed the barrels together. A long, silver blade shot out, accidentally snipping off a few loose hairs around my face. I gripped the handle and charged towards the robots. Blindly taking a swing, I sliced off the arm of one robot that had a gun aimed at me. I scooped the gun into one hand, the other holding my sword. Another robot lunged at me, and I thrust my sword into its chest. It slumped over, weighing heavily on top of me. With a grunt I shoved the robot off my blade and away. I heard the click of a camera, and I turned to see a third robot remaining motionless. One of its eyes, usually blank white, was red, and it narrowed like the lens of a camera snapping a picture. With a scowl, I punched it in the cheek, gripping the circular gun like brass knuckles. I pulled the trigger, and the lasers burst through the robot's head, shattering it into pieces of shrapnel.

I glanced around at my friends as they finished fighting the rest of the robot commandos. They all must've had their photo shoots during the action as well, which would be sent to Slade so he could gather more information, with special help from...

"Good job, Ciela." Terra said, appearing beside me. "You're really good at fighting. No wonder you became a Teen Titan."

"Thanks, but I had a lot more to offer that allowed me to join." I said. Like trust, loyalty, and not siding with the enemy.


Sitting back in her seat after inhaling the last piece of pizza, Terra patted her stomach and smiled.

"Thanks again for all you've done for me." Terra said. "You've all really made me feel at home."

"No problem!" Beast Boy said. "With the way you've been handling yourself, you'll be a member of this team in no time! Right, Robin?"

"There is this thing you've yet to grasp called patience, Beast Boy." Robin said, nonchalantly taking a drink from a soda can. An animated vein pulsed on Beast Boy's forehead for a brief second.

With a yawn, Cyborg stood up from the dining table and stretched. He walked over to the wall next to the door and a small, hand-shaped panel slid out. He pressed his hand against it and the lights went out.

"I don't know about you, but like this Tower, I'm powering down. Goodnight." Cyborg said, stifling another yawn as he left the room.

"It would be best for us all to sleep well tonight." Starfire said. "We have all battled vigorously today."

"Right. We've stopped Slade's plans for today, but starting bright and early tomorrow, we'll investigate what he may be up to next." Robin said.

The others filed out of the room until Terra and I were left.

"Well... Goodnight." Terra said, heading towards the door.

"Terra." I said. She stopped after a few steps, a bigger distance between us, and turned around. I folded my arms. "I think we both know the real reason why you didn't make this team."

"Uh, yeah. Robin said I have to prove myself worthy before I can hope to join. Thanks for the constant reminder, parole officer."

I walked past her. "You're lousy at playing charades. When you email the Tower's security codes to Slade, tell him I said hello." I paused at the double doors as they slid open, feeling Terra's stare on the back of my head. "After all, "Betrayal" is today's theme."


Marching up to the slate gray door, I forced it open. I looked around at the mountains of clothing piled up in the corners of the room. Their rancid odor overwhelmed my nostrils, and I cringed and breathed through my mouth. Glancing through the mirror at me, Beast Boy shrieked like a child and whirled around.

"What are you doing up so late?" Beast Boy said, recovering from his lost of manliness points.

"There's no way I'm going to be sleeping at all in this episode." I said. "I don't think you should go out with Terra tonight."

"What? Were you eavesdropping earlier?"

"I don't care about your failed attempt at asking her out." I took another step into his room, and the door closed behind me. "Robin said Terra would have to wait until she became a Teen Titan, but the truth is, she'll never be one of us."

"What? How could Robin not let Terra join?"

"Because I told him to." I took a deep breath. "I didn't want to tell you this, but you need to know the truth about your geokinetic friend."

Beast Boy scowled. "I don't want to hear it. I know what's really going on."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"You're jealous."

I stared at him bewilderingly. "What? I think your ego is showing. You need to listen-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear it. You need to move on, because I like Terra."

"Where did this sudden arrogance come from?" I said. Wait. This is Beast Boy I'm talking about. "You really think I'm jealous of a backstabbing two-timer who is, right now, plotting with the enemy in order to break in here while you're gone and almost snuff out your friends?!"

"Enough, Ciela! I'm sick of your lies!" Beast Boy snapped. I set my jaw and clenched my fist. If we spoke on the training grounds instead of his clothes-and-pizza littered room, I would already have thrown the first punch. Out of all the things any of the Teen Titans could say to me, accusing me of being a liar was like a butcher knife through the heart.

"Um..." a voice murmured outside the window. We turned and saw Terra hovering on a rock outside. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Uh... How long have you been there?" Beast Boy said.

"Just in time to see Ms. Trigger Happy almost lob one at you." Terra said. "Wanna go out?"

"Really? But you said you couldn't."

"I can now." Terra offered a hand to Beast Boy and helped him onto the rock. Beast Boy looked back and we exchanged glares for a few seconds before Terra drove the rock away from the Tower and into the black horizon.

I sprinted out of Beast Boy's room and down the hallway. Arriving at Cyborg's door, I opened it and ran into his room. Asleep in his bed, which was a thin slab of metal that looking like something scientists use to conduct experiments on people, Cyborg's snores rattled my eardrums. I hurried over to him and yanked the charger attached to his chest. His eyes snapped open, and he sat up straight.

"What the-?!" he cried. His eyes landed on me, and he scowled. "It's the middle of the night!"

"A perfect time for Slade to invade the Tower." I said.

"Say what?"

I hurried back to his door and palmed the emergency alarm button next to it. The room and hallways blazed red as ear-splitting sirens sounded. I hurried down the hallway, Cyborg trailing behind me. While Terra and Beast Boy were out, Slade would unleash his army of robot commandos on the Tower. The other Titans would have to fight for their lives while Beast Boy was out sharing pie with the girl who was the main accomplice to this plan.

At the door leading into the living room, I skidded to a stop and motioned Cyborg to do the same. I drew my pistols and Cyborg drew his cannon ray. On the count of three, we burst into the door, weapons aimed. The lights turned on.

However, there was no one in the room.

"What?" I gasped.

"Oh, yeah... Slade's definitely been here. Heaven forbid he helped himself to a late-night snack." Cyborg mumbled.

"What's going on?" Robin said as he, Starfire, and Raven entered the room, all frazzled from being woken up.

"No, no, no... How is this possible?" I said. "Slade was supposed to send an army of his robot commandos to the Tower after Terra sent him the security codes! They should be here!"

"Why would Terra do such a thing?" Starfire said, her eyes wide. Robin, Raven, and I shared a look between each other.

"Maybe you just dreamed that up." Raven said.

I inhaled sharply. "No! Why would I lie about that?!" It dawned on me. "Slade must've not gone through with it. He knew I would warn you guys about it, so why not make me look like a fool while his apprentice is out..."

I shoved my energy pistols back into their holsters and walked quickly towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Robin said.

"I'm going after Beast Boy and Terra. They're not the only ones that went with them on their date." I said.

"Halt! Explain to me why you believe Terra has done such terrible things!" Starfire said.

"Robin will explain what he can to you." I turned to Raven. "Will you come with me?"

Raven nodded.


Our first stop was a diner on the outskirts of Jump City.

"Excuse me," I said, to the waitress at the counter, an old lady with light pink hair piled into a tall, beehive bun. "Has a girl named Terra stopped by here recently?"

"Terra? Sure. She and a friend of hers were just here a little while ago. They only stayed for a few minutes before she dragged out that weird green boy." the waitress said.

"They were here, all right." Raven said, crouching down and picking up a communicator- Beast Boy's communicator.

"Thank you, ma'am." Raven and I left the diner. "This is the last place they'd be before heading to the amusement park. That's where Slade makes his appearance, but..."

Slade changed his mind about the robot commandos invading Titans Tower; he changed the plot. Of course, this leads to being my fault. After all, this change didn't begin until I became a part of this show. Who knows if Slade is even at the amusement park?

Raven created a platform from her astral magic underneath our feet and lifted us back into the air. We sailed over the bright lights of Jump City, despite being the wee hours of the morning, and to the amusement park clear on the other side. The dimming lights flickering from the booths paled in comparison to the bustling city behind us, and my eyes struggled to adjust to the harsh contrast. My vision cleared when we entered, just in time for layers of dust to cover my face and body. The entire carnival was consumed, and the ground beneath us rumbled for a few seconds. Coughing the dirt out of my lungs, I blinked to clear the tears and dust out of my eyes. The thick haze began to subside and we saw the "Big Wheel" Ferris wheel toppled over, a deep fissure in the earth that only Terra could cause.

"They went in there." I said, pointing to the House of Mirrors.

Raven and I ran inside. I expected a place like this to be filled with distorted mirrors with a different, oddly-shaped reflection in each one. This one, however, had normal mirrors that ran beside you.

"Beast Boy!" I called, cupping my hands over my mouth.

"This way." Raven said, and I followed her through the mirrored corridor.

"Terra! Where are you?!" We heard Beast's Boy voice as we drew closer. We came to a large, circular room with mirrors instead of walls, and each showcased Slade's reflection. He saw me and Raven approaching him. "What are you doing here?!"

"How else would Ciela be able to finally tell you what you've been running away from all this time?" Slade said, his reflections hiding the real villain.

"Stop lying to me!" Beast Boy stomped towards me and gripped my shoulders. "Tell me it's not true!"

I gulped at his ferocious glare. I couldn't dare to pry myself away from his vice grasp in fear of also ripping my arms out of their sockets. I looked away without a word, but that was all he needed to get his answer.

"No..." Beast Boy's eyes shook as he stumbled back. "How... How could Terra do something like this?!"

"How could she not? I offered her something none of you Teen Titans could ever touch- control." Slade said. "Why do you think she spent all her time running away? The incredible power she contains must be harnessed; in her amateur hands, this young girl left a trail of desolation in her wake. Under the proper training, I have helped her realize her potential."

The Slade reflections disappeared, replaced by Beast Boy's. He turned a full circle, looking at his horrified expression, before he finally stopped and locked eyes with Terra. She stood close in front of Slade and several feet from us. Beast Boy shifted his gaze to Slade, his eyes filled with a murderous rage, and he transformed into a tiger and charged towards them. Terra ducked out of the way, allowing Beast Boy a clear passage as he lunged at Slade, his claws digging into the armor around his collar bone. Slade threw Beast Boy over his shoulder and took out a circular gun, similar to the ones each of his robot commandos has. As Beast Boy climbed to his feet, he pulled the trigger, launching a laser into Beast Boy's stomach. With a painful groan, Beast Boy collapsed to the ground.

"I didn't say you could hurt him! He's my friend!" Terra said, a mighty scowl on her face as her hands glowed yellow. I clenched my fist; here we go again with the indecisiveness.

"Poor, naive, little girl. You don't have any friends." Slade said.

Raven extended out her hand and enveloped Slade in her magic. As she lifted him into the air, I watched Terra run away yet again. Thrusting her arms to the side, she tossed Slade into a mirror. He disappeared behind the sprinkle of falling glass and into the darkness. I hurried to Beast Boy's side and helped him sit up.

"Are you all right?" I said.

"I... I don't know..." Beast Boy said. He winced and climbed to his feet. "Where did Terra go?"

"Into the next room."

Beast Boy nodded, and the three of us headed into the next room. Faint whimpering echoed off the mirrors, and Terra knelt in the center of circular room identical to the previous one. Raven and I stayed back as Beast Boy approached Terra. She heard his footsteps growing closer and she lifted her head. Parts of her blond hair fell in front of the left side of her face and tears stained her cheeks.

"Why, Terra? Why did you choose to side with Slade?" Beast Boy said.

Terra staggered to her feet. "He... He promised he could help me. He said could show me a better way."

"A better way to, what, use your powers for evil? Turn against those who cared about you?! Were you ordered to like me? Were your feelings just pretend?"

"No! You know me better than anyone else I've ever met. And you... you promised we would always be friends no matter what. No matter what I've done, you'd still be there for me... right?" Terra approached Beast Boy. She reached out to touch him, but he backed away.

"That was before I found out it was a promise built on a foundation of lies. You mean nothing to me." Beast Boy said, turning his back towards her. Terra dropped her hand back to her side, her blue eyes shaking in despair. "Goodbye, Terra."

Terra took a few steps back and returned to Slade's side.

"Until next time, Titans. I hope you'll enjoy my farewell present." Slade said before he and Terra disappeared into the darkness.

The mirrors around us shattered simultaneously, filling my ears with the shrill rain of glass shards falling to the ground. Regaining my focus, I gasped when I saw the army of robot commandos that had emerged from the mounds of broken glass. The ones in the front row drew their energy guns and pointed them at us.

Slade never changed his plan... He just relocated.

"Hang on." Raven said, grasping mine and Beast Boy's arms. Her eyes glowed pure white and her magic encased us in the shape of a raven. It lifted us through the ceiling, out of the House of Mirrors, and back to Titans Tower. It still stood, pristinely as ever, especially compared to how it should've been if it were the original episode. Raven's magic brought us to the rocky shore and faded.

"Thanks... for being there for me..." Beast Boy said wearily. "And... I'm sorry I didn't listen to you..."

Beast Boy trudged up the rocks and into the Tower. Holding my arms, I walked inside with Raven and to the living room, where the others were. The Tower looked nice on the outside, but the turmoil lingering inside was as thick as black tar.

"How did things go?" Cyborg said.

"Worse than I thought..." I said.

"You were right to advise us not to trust her." Starfire said.

"We may have not trusted her completely, but we did enough to let her into our home. It gave her time to study us- our flaws, our weaknesses- and report them to Slade." Raven said. "We thought he was dangerous before, but now he has the power to really do some damage."

"That doesn't matter. When he strikes again, we'll be ready for whatever he has in store." Robin said. He hesitated. "How's Beast Boy?"

I shook my head. I swore I could hear his agonizing puppy whimpers bleeding through the walls as he clutched the special heart-shaped container he made for Terra only a few hours ago.

Thank goodness this season is almost over.