A/N: Sorry for the short chapter 10. Hopefully this one will be longer.
Chapter Eleven
"Hey, Terra… Have I told you yet that you look beautiful today?" Beast Boy asked. Terra giggled appreciatively at this, a radiant smile and a slight blush gracing her cheeks. She could feel her discomfort being back with the Titans disappearing more quickly by the day.
"Not in the past hour or so…" She teased. Beast Boy smiled nervously, laughing along with Terra.
"Oh… Uh… Well… One of us has to have a good memory, I guess…" He said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Terra laughed, kissing her green boyfriend tenderly on the lips.
"I… Guess I can't say I'm offended by the flattery…" She said with a chuckle, kissing him again, pulling him down on the bed, embracing him and reversing their positions so she was lying on top of him, looking down into his blue eyes fiercely. Beast Boy held her away for a minute, though.
"I… I just… It's not that…"
Terra seemed suddenly uncertain as well, rolling over and sitting next to him.
"I understand, BB… It's odd for me, too… I'm able to control my powers, and I even am more powerful than ever now. I'm not indentured to Slade…"
"In-whated?" Beast Boy asked. Terra laughed.
"I'm not Slade's slave anymore. An indentured servant is someone who was forced into labor, whether because of a debt or against their will. They work without pay, and are essentially slaves."
"Oh… So tell me, what was school like? I've never actually gone to school. I think Raven might have gone for a little while at one point. She's talked about how painful it was for her to be surrounded by teenagers like that. Guess she didn't care for it." Beast Boy said.
"Oh, school was alright. It was weird… So normal… It was like I was living in an illusion. I kept blinking and pinching myself to make myself wake up, and things never changed. I was still just a normal schoolgirl… I had a boyfriend for a little while. We never got that serious. He… Wasn't quite as interesting as any of you. I think he realized that he was being overshadowed by someone I wasn't telling him about and he broke up with me." Terra muttered.
"What is History class like?"
"It doesn't teach you what history is really like for the participants. It's just reading a book. You guys have seen history happening. Trigon destroying the earth, saving everyone from the Devil… If that can't make it into a history book, I don't know what can. School life was fairly unsatisfying. I knew I could do so much more with my life than what I was doing.
"Eventually, I told Amber and Dionne that I would be leaving school. They asked a lot of questions that I knew I couldn't answer. I just told them that I would miss them, and that we might see each other again someday. It's weird. That saying about the grass being greener is true. Though, I guess when I'm with you, the grass is about as green as it can get, right?" Terra laughed nervously. Beast Boy's face went blank for a moment, then he found himself laughing along with Terra.
Finally, they stopped, and Terra continued.
"When I was a schoolgirl, I missed the action-packed life of a superhero. Now that I'm a superhero, I miss the friends that Tara Markov had in school. Is that weird?"
"Not at all… I sometimes wanted a life of normalcy… But, it's not easy being green…"
"Is that a Kermit the Frog joke?" Terra asked, raising an eyebrow. Beast Boy smirked.
"Ah… You got me!" The two found themselves dissolving into laughter again. Finally, Terra lurched forward, kissing Beast Boy passionately, her sudden movement causing them both to lose balance and fall backwards on the bed. When the two recovered, they found themselves laughing hysterically at how much fun they were having. Terra couldn't remember having that much fun in a long time, and Beast Boy's fun was unfortunately mitigated by his guilt at what he had said to Terra so long ago.
"Terra… I'm sorry, too…" Beast Boy muttered nervously. Terra raised an eyebrow.
"For what? You're a pretty good kisser… We're having fun. I thought we were, anyway. And I tackled you, not you me. What's there to…" Terra started. She was cut off, though, by a hand from Beast Boy.
"It seems so long ago, now… That first date you and I went on. It ended so horribly… I said such terrible things to you… Being a hero is about more than just defeating bad people. It's also about helping good people when they can't help themselves…"
"Wow… That was really deep. How long did it take you to think of that one?"
"It's been coming on a little at a time since you petrified yourself…" Beast Boy said. "Anyway, don't interrupt. I turned you away that night. You were in pain. You needed my help. You needed all our help, and we turned our backs on you… Would you have still gone over to Slade if I had forgiven you?" Beast Boy asked, looking Terra directly in her usually strong blue eyes. Right now, they were filled with tears, though, and she looked like she had just had the wind knocked out of her.
"Beast Boy… Garfield… Please… Don't make me answer that question… I can't do that to you… I won't…" She muttered, looking terribly vulnerable. Beast Boy looked at her.
"Okay… I hope someday, you'll be able to answer that question for me." Beast Boy said, hugging Terra tightly."
"I don't know if I could do that to you, Gar… I care about you too much… You… You really want to know, don't you? Terra asked. Beast Boy nodded. "If you're not ready to tell me, I don't blame you. I wasn't exactly the most accepting person last time. I didn't help your problems." Beast Boy said. Terra hugged Beast Boy, kissing him tenderly on the lips.
"Someday, I'll tell you. I promise…" Terra whispered. Beast Boy nodded.
"Don't rush. You're still getting used to being back here, aren't you?"
"Yeah…" Terra said, laughing. "So, Nightwing and Raven…"
"Yeah… Nightwing and Raven…" Beast Boy said. "It's strange to see Raven smiling. She never used to smile." He finished. Terra smirked at this.
"You had feelings for her, didn't you?" Terra asked. Beast Boy started slightly.
"What? No… I mean… I didn't really… H-how did you know?"
"Ahaha… Relax… It's not a problem. I had to learn these things back in Markovia. It helped keep me alive. Otherwise, if I couldn't read emotions, I would have been killed pretty early on. People didn't like me because I couldn't control my powers… But this is about you.
"I was surprised when I realized you had feelings for Raven…"
"Really? Why? There was just something so special about her… N-not that there isn't about you… But… I mean…"
"Ahaha! You're funny, Gar… Don't sweat it… I know… Remember? I can read emotions on people.
"There was one boy in school with me who I dated for a little while. He liked me. But I could tell when he lost interest, and fell for another girl. I broke it off about two days before I found out he had been dating another girl for almost three weeks. I considered revenge, but that would've outed me for being a metahuman." Terra said. There's at least one other kid at my school from Markovia… If I had used my Terrakinesis powers, he would have recognized me." Terra muttered.
Beast Boy put a hand on her shoulder, looking at her sympathetically.
"It's alright, Terra… We know you've made mistakes in the past… You've got control over your powers, now. We trust you. You're one of us. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"C-c'mon in!" Beast Boy shouted."
"Hey, guys… Sorry, I can come back later…" Nightwing said. Beast Boy shook his head.
"No… It's fine… What's up?" Beast Boy asked. Nightwing's face became serious.
"We're doing some training in the new training room. It's bigger and better now, and I need to test it in full team training. We're splitting up into our teams and testing it out." Nightwing said. Terra nodded, standing up and putting her sneakers on, and clunking out.
"Hey, Terra, what's in those sneakers? There's something really heavy on you." Nightwing said. Terra nodded, grinning wildly, holding out her wrists. They were shaking slightly, but it seemed like she could hold them up pretty easily, despite how heavy they obviously were.
"Yeah, these bracelets are made of hyperdense metal. When I went out the other day, I collected a bunch of different metals and compressed them into bracelets that weigh about 100 pounds each.
"I've got one on each ankle as well." Terra said. She fully intended to maximize her strength and endurance. She had gone running early that morning, and despite the 400 extra pounds on her, she was still running almost twice as fast as she was able to before she was enhanced by Nightwing. It was incredible to be able to run at almost thirty miles an hour, even with all that extra weight on her.
She was busy making a belt with hyperdense metal weights in it that, at full weight, could carry almost 1,000 pounds. She wasn't sure that she could carry that much yet. However, she has been working on fortifying the pouches and the belt by creating dense steel thread that, while incredibly strong, was also very easy to work with. She wasn't sure how long it would be before she could finish the belt. But she was planning on talking to Nightwing to see if he had any ideas.
"Alright, everyone. I've balanced the Titans into two four person teams… Team 1 is going to have me, Raven, Cyborg and Robin. Team 2 is going to be led by Starfire. It will have Red Hood, Beast Boy and Terra on it. The teams should be balanced. That way, if we need to separate, we can do two missions at once." Nightwing said. Jason seemed to not like this idea.
"Hey! Why can't I be leader of Team 2? I was Robin after you! I'm just as good, if not better than you were… Well, before your unfair enhancements…" Jason protested. Nightwing looked at Jason levelly.
"Well, it's because I don't fully trust you yet. It's the same reason I made it so that most of your power comes from your suit, and not from yourself. I trust you enough to let you on the team. But I know what Batman's training is like. It teaches you more than just fighting.
"You could easily learn to hide your true intentions. That's why you're not the leader. Over time, I'll come to learn more about you. Then, we'll see. Until then, be satisfied with your current place."
"I could leave the Teen Titans. I already have this super suit… Be a hero on my own."
"You certainly could. I won't stop you. I'll block you mentally from being able to divulge secrets about the base, and then let you go. No questions asked." Nightwing said. Jason snarled, but said nothing.
"Okay, good. Now, we're going to be practicing against multiple high power enemies. Between two and three should generate.
"Training Program! Select random high level opponents, total power level between 5 and 7. Multiple opponents." Robin commanded. The machine repeated his command, and the ground began to warp.
Slade, Brother Blood and Madame Rouge appeared, sneering at the Titans.
"Titans, activate communication devices…" Nightwing commanded. Each of them heard a slight buzzing in their minds before it subsided, and they heard Nightwing's voice in their heads.
"Team 2, set mode to Command Program 2…" Suddenly, Terra, Beast Boy and Red Hood heard Starfire's voice in their minds instead with a tiny dot that seemed to represent Nightwing's mind as well. Command Program 3 would have been both Nightwing and Starfire commanding simultaneously.
It would have been far more confusing than they were ready for at the time. Thus, they had Command Program 1 and Command Program 2 at the moment.
"Go!" Nightwing and Starfire said simultaneously. Terra immediately went for Slade, whose arm went up in self-defense, deflecting Terra's first attack, and then her second.
"Hello, Apprentice… You didn't really think that you could defeat me with such simple attacks, did you? I am beyond anything you've ever been able to beat. I know your every attack, your every weakness… Submit, foolish child…"
"Never!" Terra screamed, leaping up and dissolving the stone underneath Slade's feet.
Slade's eye widened as he sunk into the floor, and Terra rose above him, her arms moving and creating magma above Slade's head. Nightwing gasped, stopping the program.
"Terra! I know Slade is an emotionally charged enemy, but you need to control your anger! I know it sounds hollow coming from me of all people. I have trouble controlling my temper when facing Slade as well… But that's what makes it so important.
"Our ability to choose not to kill is what makes us different from him." Nightwing said, ordering the computer to reset. The whole room warped, the floor repaired itself, and Slade, Brother Blood and Madame Rouge reformed.
"Titans! Go!" Nightwing ordered. The two separate teams split up and took on their separate enemies. Nightwing, Cyborg, Raven and Damian took on Brother Blood while Starfire, Terra, Beast Boy and Red Hood took on Slade. Nightwing passed on a minor psychic suggestion to Terra through her communication device to stay calm while she fought.
"Hello… I see my two apprentices are both here at once… And the spoiled little Damian Wayne… I would say it's a pleasure to see you again, but I would be lying…"
"Nightwing! How do you know about my history with Slade!" Damian demanded. Nightwing laughed.
"There was more in the files that Slade stored in Terra's brain without her knowledge than just information on Biological Manipulation. Titans, go!" Nightwing yelled.
"Madame Rouge, General Immortus, Monsieur Mallah… It is an honor to finally meet the leaders of the Brotherhood of Evil…" Slade said in his usual calm, controlled manner to their frozen bodies. He looked each of them in the eye calculatingly, Brother Blood following close behind him. Blood wasn't used to taking orders, but Slade had proven himself far superior to Blood in combat, and Blood wanted some of that power for himself.
Slade had said to Blood that at least he didn't have an insufferable Cockney accent, and seemed to be more willing to obey than his previous apprentice. Slade may have been lying, he may have been luring him in with false enticements, but damnit if Blood didn't want even a little bit of the power that Slade was displaying. It was evident that even without his superpowers, Slade was a formidable opponent, with superhuman physical and mental faculties.
Brother Blood's greatest asset was his mechanical half. He still wanted to learn what allowed Cyborg to resist his mental control. Was it his mechanical half? If it was, then why couldn't he affect it in any of the other cyborgs that he had created from 'willing' HIVE students? Their minds crumpled under his mental might. What was it that made Cyborg so superior? Maybe that was one of the answers that Slade could give him. So for now, he followed like a good disciple until the moment when he no longer needed Slade.
"Um… Master… We came all the way to Germany to seek out this Brotherhood of Evil. Are we not going to unfreeze them?" Brother Blood asked nervously. Slade seemed amused by his question.
"Yes. They will make excellent soldiers and tacticians. Between them, they can fell entire nations. There is no reason to not have them on our side when we face the Titans once more."
"May I ask then, if you are planning to enhance me further? I appreciate the enhancements you have already given me. But I hope eventually to be a match for the entire team. Cyborg proves himself to be irritatingly resistant to my mental control."
"Yes… And Nightwing to my manipulations…" Slade agreed.
"Eventually, we will have the Titans right where we want them, you needn't worry. But all good things come to those who wait." Slade said sternly. Madame Rouge smirked.
"You have done quite well to release us, Mr. Slade. But what is it that you want of us?"
"Allies. I can make you more powerful than you can imagine."
"We are already powerful, Mr. Slade… We did hope to recruit you when our plans were coming to fruition the last time. But we had no news of you…" Madame Rouge said
"Our plan would have gone much quicker with you on our side. We understand that the Titans have never defeated you in combat." Mallah added.
"I was… Still indisposed at the moment. After Trigon was taken down, I still required time to recover. Besides, my services for such an ambitious undertaking would not have been something you could afford." Slade said levelly. Madame Rouge smirked at this.
"Try us." She said snidely. Slade's eyes narrowed.
"I would estimate between one and five hundred million, depending on how long you needed me for."
"I see… Well, if you wish us to work for you, what would you give us? No man or woman is without price." Madame Rouge said.
"I will demonstrate my abilities. Monsieur Mallah, was it?"
"Yes… Why?" The gigantic primate asked. Slade seemed to smirk from behind his mask, walking up to Mallah, and putting his hand on the primate's head. Mallah growled as he felt a pulsing feeling inside of him. When Slade was done, he stepped back, and held out a flat piece of metal.
"I challenge you to break this piece of metal. I have studied the limits of your strength, and with your old abilities, you would not have been able to break it. If you need proof, you may examine it before you break it." Slade said, handing it to Mallah, who turned it over in his hands, feeling along it for any minor fissures or imperfections, finally agreeing that by his old standards, he could not have broken it.
He then handed it to Slade, who held it out, and waited as Mallah brought his fists down, smashing the board into tiny shards of metal that flew everywhere. Slade collected the shards, though, reabsorbing them, saying that it was biometal that he had made himself to test Mallah.
"And I can do similar projects on both of you. I have promised the same to Brother Blood, and if you serve me faithfully and do not attempt any chicanery whilst you are in my service, I will gladly follow through on my promise. I must confess myself wary, though. I have had nothing but bad luck with apprentices in the past." Slade said. Mallah and Rouge looked at each other, then at Immortus.
"What of the Brain?" General Immortus asked. Slade nodded.
"I could unfreeze it. But I am not certain that I trust the Brain. Its trustworthiness cannot be assured since my research has shown that its main loyalty is to itself. I could try to use my Biological Manipulation to control it, but I have little information on how effective it would be on a disembodied brain." Slade said. The three members of the Brotherhood scowled. Mallah and Immortus could both respect Slade's caution, though. He was clearly thinking things through before he made any moves.
