Chapter 8

Terra hung up the phone quickly but there was no mistaking the look on her face. She had heard something.

"So who was it?" Cyborg asked quickly, clearly fed up with the games.

"Nothing. Nobody." She said but caught Raven giving her a cold glare. "What?

"You're lying."

"I am not! I just heard grunting in the background."

"Grunting?" Starfire looked puzzled. "Was it grunting like someone lifting the weights. Or grunting like dogs before they excrete the biggest of vomits? Or grunting like when two people who are in love-"

"Oh my gosh, Starfire!" Cyborg sighed. "Please stop. Forever please stop with those questions."

"It sounded like someone fighting," Terra replied quickly

"Aaaaaand that's it?" Cyborg asked. "You didn't hear anything else."

"You can tell us. You can trust us." Beast Boy said. This earned a glance from Raven who looked between the two.

Terra knew she could trust them. Now that she remembered who she was though, she worried they couldn't trust her. Slade had been very clear to leave the titans out of this. All she could hope was that Robin was alright. "All I heard... was grunting. Nothing else. Now I'm pretty tired. I'll pass on dinner. Goodnight."

Terra left the titans standing and staring after her as she hastily made her way up the halls.

The other side of town...

Robin groaned awake and quickly felt to see that his mask was in tact as he always did when he awoke disoriented. What had happened? Where was it? It felt like he had been beaten with a metal baseball bat. He quickly remembered. Slade. Slade! "I knew it... I knew he was back. I have to-" but as his eyes adjusted to the darkness Robin saw the silhouette of Slade still in the room with him. He was standing opposite the floor facing Robin... just staring. "Slade," the boy wonder said coldly. "What do you want with me? What do you want with Terra?" He forced himself to stand but every inch of his body ached. The masked figure did not move, did not speak. He just stood there and stared. "ANSWER ME!" he cried angrily, clutching his fist.

"Hello Robin..." it replied. "Happy to see me?"

"I'll be happier when I finish you!" He muttered, bracing himself for another fight.

"Hello Robin. Happy to see me?"

Robin softened his stance. "Wha- He shook it off, not wanting to get distracted and pulled his retractable staff from his belt. "This ends NOW, Slade." The Titan leader sent his staff flying towards the figure across from him. When it made contact, the figure collapsed into pieces but the voice continued. "Hello Robin. Happy to see me?"

"What?" Robin made his way cautiously over to the pieces of armor. It was a robot. Just like the one Beast Boy fought at the pier. "No..." He sighed. He was left with just as many questions as before. Maybe more. "No. No! NO!" He sorted through every piece of the robot, as if hoping to find an answer. "It can't be. That fight was so real!" Robin lifted the mask just as the robotic eye went dark.

Back at Titan Tower...

Terra looked in the mirror of her room. "Hey guys," she said to her reflection. "Remember that time I tried to kill you guys? haha! Good times huh?" She grunted, "no that is a horrible idea." She cleared her throat and tried a different approach. "So I've decided that Jump City isn't for me. I'm not your friend Terra. I'm moving to Mexico." She shook her head. "No! No more running." She untied the bathrobe and looked at the uniform underneath. "Brion... what do I do now."

"Who is Brion?"

Terra jumped and faced the doorway and saw Beast Boy. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Just now. I thought I heard you say Brion as I walked up. Who is that? Are you remembering something about yourself?"

"Um not really. He's my... school counselor. I just wish I could talk to him right now is all..."

"Well, maybe we could call the school and-" he stopped when he saw the shattered music box on the floor. "Duuuuuuude!" he groaned sadly. "I know you hate us but did you have to break it?!"

"You think I hate you?"

"Well hate is a strong word. I know you're annoyed," he muttered as he knelt down to pick the parts of the box. "Especially with me. But Terra... if that's your real name. We just want whatever is best for you. What's best for everyone."

"I want what is best for everyone too..." Terra sad sadly thinking of Slade's words on the phone. "Has Robin come home yet?" She had grown worried. Alerting the titans of her suspicions that he was in trouble could reveal more than she cares to share about herself right now. But saying nothing could cost Robin a lot more than just his safety.

"Not yet, but we looked at the tracer's he installed on his communicator. He's heading back this way. Why? Do you need him?" Beast boy set the peices of the music box on the table and looked up at Terra, finally noticing her uniform. "W-Why are you wearing her Titan's gear?"

"Oh!" She had forgotten for a moment and quickly covered it with the bathrobe. "I just don't like my school uniform and these were the only clothes you had that fit me."

"They fit perfectly..."

"Well I'm a pretty average size I guess." She looked at the sad expression on his face and tilted her head to match his eyeline. "But... I'm guessing Terra wasn't an average girl to you... was she?"

"No. She wasn't. Well... I just wanted to come check on you. You were pretty upset when you left the rec room. I'll leave you alone."

"I don't hate you," Terra said quickly to stop Beast Boy before he left.

"Really?" His ears perked up and he started walking back towards her.

"Look... My whole life," she flinched then corrected herself, "I mean as far as I can remember, has been nothing but uncertainty. I didn't feel that I belonged. I felt trapped. I didn't know what the next day would hold. But here you come to my school one day so certain. So positive you knew who I was and what I meant to you. It was just a little off-putting... in a good way. But still, I just have never met anyone else like you."

"Yea?"

"Yea... Hey, um, maybe we could talk more about your Terra. You could help me remember if I'm her or not." Terra figured if she could get the titans talking about the Terra they know and loved, they would be more receptive and forgiving when she finally told them the truth.

"Really? I would love to!"

Suddenly Raven's voice came from the door, "too bad we don't have time for that."

"Hey Ray!" Beast Boy squeeked to the dark figure of a girl in the doorway, giving them a cold look. "Terra doesn't find me totally annoying anymore. How about that?!" He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Amazing," she said in a hollow tone. "A skill I would love to have myself." She moved her gaze from Beast Boy to Terra. "Robin just got back... and you have explaining to do."

"Is he ok?" Terra asks

"He's been beaten to a pulp."

"That must have been the grunting you heard on the phone," Beast boy says.

"Did he say what happened?" Terra asks nervously.

"He won't say anything else until we are all together, including you."

Raven's tone made Beast Boy's shade of green turn a bit paler. He glanced between the girls and got a sudden feeling of de ja vous. "Ooooookay... well I'm going to see you guys in there then right?" When neither answered he just scurried out, yet he still couldn't remove the subtle smile on his face knowing Terra was being nice to him again.

Terra approached the door but raven did not move to let her pass. "Take that off..." she nodded to the uniform.

"We don't have time for me to change clothes. Robin wants us."

"You don't get to wear that T-badge." Raven said pointing to the shirt.

"Why don't you like me? Even if I am Terra, you said yourself that she saved your life. So you could try being a little nicer."

"One of the benefits of keeping my mouth shut most of the time, is I've become a very good listener." Raven took one step into the room, forcing Terra back. "My senses are about five times sharper than a humans."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, I heard someone on the other end of that call talking to you. I may not have heard what he or she said... but someone was there... and you lied about it."

"Or maybe you're just wrong."

Raven didn't say anything for a moment, but when she did, her gaze was stone cold. "You may be here for our help... but if I see even one sliver of an attempt to hurt my team, To hurt Beast Boy, then I won't hesitate to stop you. I will not let anyone hurt my friends, especially you."

Raven turned to leave and it became very known to Terra that Raven had made up her mind. Raven believed that was the real Terra... and not the one they knew and loved.