Erato: It's pretty uncertain what happened between BB and Terra during season two. They had a date, and were ready to kiss, which is a pretty big step in a show aimed at six year olds. That, added to the fairly obsessive way that Beastboy was acting in the final episode, leads me to believe that he's still very much into Terra. I'm glad you are enjoying the story, and I hope you don't mind that this story may not have much in the way of poetic romance.
Clio: Thanks for the review! Though it's not planned to be an epic, it's not exactly supposed to be a short fanfiction either. I like Terra, and I like 'Rose'. I hope that I can write a complex character like her properly. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
CalliopeMused: I am of course glad that you like the story. I respect you as a writer and thus value your opinions. I've already spoken with you in regards to this review, however, so I'll shut up. Enjoy this chapter!
TTFAN: Nope. This Rose is just sort of named after her. She's estranged.
Dr. Evil 99: Poor Terra is having problems keeping friends, which would be familiar to her if she had any memories. Powergirl is an exemplification of comic book women, and thus deserves mention. Hope you enjoy the next chapter of course.
Kayasuri-n: They are so short. :P GLad you are enjoying the fic of course.
Lambbaby: I'm not sure if Rose would be worse off meeting Raven or Beastboy at the door. Both have issues, on basically opposite ends of the spectrum. Robin's voyeurism is creepy, yes, but he just takes after his dad. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Rurouni Tyriel: I'm glad you are enjoying the story.
loveatfirstterra: Thanks! Sorry it took so long!
Geork: I'm writing from the show, so don't worry about the comics. Anything about the past not covered in the show, I'm making up, basically. Sorry the new chapter is so late, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.
"It's you."
Rose suddenly felt very aware of her situation. She had come to Titans' Tower, uninvited and with no warning, and was now standing in front of a real superheroine. She was drenched with sea water, and was wearing a school uniform. Rose felt ridiculous.
"I... uh... Hi."
The girl in front of her changed expressions from indifference to irritation. Her voice was even, though there was an undercurrent of suspicion. "Beastboy said you were back. He also said that you said you weren't Terra, and wanted nothing to do with us. Why are you here?"
Rose frowned. She hadn't expected a celebration or anything, but something in this person's demeanor was very cold and standoffish. "Um... Well, I think I have... I think I'm a metahuman, and I don't really know what I'm doing with my... power, I guess. I was wondering if maybe one of you knew what it was like to be out of control and could help me."
Rose thought that the girl's expression softened for a moment, but she seemed to catch herself and steel her eyes again. There was less of an edge to her voice when she spoke again. "... I may know how you are feeling. However, I can't... let you in. Your powers are dangerous."
"My powers? You don't even know what they are." Rose didn't understand why this person was being so cold to her. She hadn't done anything wrong. Well, besides trespassing.
The girl hesitated a moment, and Rose thought that her eyes glowed slightly, but couldn't be certain. "You don't... feel like Terra."
Rose frowned. "That's because I'm not. Beastboy is the only person who thinks that."
"Well, I will let you into the tower. At the very least, we need to talk. I am Raven. Follow me." Raven turned, allowing Rose to enter the tower.
Rose stepped into the tower, looking around at the high ceilings in the entrance chamber. She'd been here before, with Beastboy, but she'd been focusing more on his unending chatter at the time, and not on the grand size of the place. Rose followed the silent Raven as she walked through the entrance hall and into the elevator at the end. She pressed a button and the doors closed.
The silence in the elevator was oppressive. Rose didn't know what to say to someone as famous and powerful as Raven. Every time she ventured a glance at the strange gray skinned girl, she seemed to be deep in thought, and Rose didn't want to disturb her. Plus, despite inviting her into the tower, Raven still seemed very cold and almost hostile towards her. Rose wasn't sure why Raven was being so standoffish.
After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator beeped and the doors opened, revealing the Titans' living area. Raven walked forwards silently, and Rose had little option but to follow her. Raven sat down on one end of the semicircular couch, and Rose felt uncomfortable any closer than the other end. They faced each other across fifteen feet of floor space. Both girls sat silently for a moment.
Raven was the first to speak. "I have to admit that Beastboy was right; you do look like Terra. Your voice is also similar. However, he said that you don't believe you are Terra. What is your name?"
Rose jumped slightly at the sudden sound, and then forced a smile; trying to make herself feel more comfortable. "Wow, I didn't realize he'd never asked my name. I'm Rose Wilson. I don't really have a superhero name like Raven or anything."
"Raven isn't a pseudonym; it's my real name." Raven's voice was curt, and her eyes seemed to be staring into Rose's soul. Rose felt extremely uncomfortable. "Regardless, you say you have metahuman abilities? What sort of ability?"
Rose felt a bit more focused, the distractions of the girl's strange demeanor wiped away by the mention of her new abilities. "I... can sort of move earth. I think Terra had the same thing, right? If I kind of focus and just think about wanting some dirt or a rock to move, it does."
Raven nodded. "You also said that you weren't in control of it."
"Yeah... I kind of got mad at school today, and the stone walls shook and started falling apart. Also when I tried to fly myself over here on a rock, the rock broke apart and I fell into the water." Rose wasn't' sure why she was being so open about all this. Despite the cold exterior, however, it felt as though Raven was listening to her with a sympathetic ear. Rose hoped it wasn't an illusion.
Raven sat silently for a moment, then nodded. "I've heard that many metahumans have problems controlling their powers at first. I have to meditate daily to control mine. Your powers are very similar to Terra's, if you are telling the truth about them. Do you think that it's possible that you are Terra?"
Rose shook her head. "No, I'd remember it. I mean, I don't remember much, but I think I'd remember it if I was a superhero."
"Don't remember much? What do you mean?"
Rose smiled. "Oh, sorry. I was in a car accident a while ago, and I have amnesia from before that. I can remember facts and stuff. Mathematics, school information, that sort of thing. But I can't remember anything about my life. My dad has told me some stuff, but he's always so vague and doesn't like to talk about it."
Raven didn't say anything for a minute or two, and the silence began to press on Rose again. Finally, Raven broke it. "We have some time before the others get back from eating pizza. If you would like, I can see what I can do to restore your memory."
"Really? You could fix it? I hate not remembering anything." Rose felt excited, though also a bit freaked out by the idea of this near stranger messing with her mind. Her father's warnings came back to her, and she was slightly afraid that he may be right. However, her memories were too important to refuse the possible cure based on random suspicions.
Raven nodded. "I will try. Close your eyes. It will feel strange at first, but just try to keep your mind open and let me in."
Rose closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The air around her suddenly felt colder, and she could feel the hairs on her arms and neck standing on end. There was a odd feeling in her head, similar to pressure, but clearly not in a physical sense. Rose tried to allow Raven to do what she needed to, by trying to clear her mind and open it, as little sense as it made to her.
Rose felt Raven enter her mind, and she saw flashes of the past few months. Shawna laughing, her first report card, her father training, the amusement park, and Ashley's terrified face as her powers were going wild. Rose could almost feel Raven's revulsion at the last memory, and suddenly wanted her out. As soon as Rose felt that Raven should leave, she was gone, and Rose opened her eyes again. Raven was hovering above the couch, in a lotus position. A large, birdlike black shape descended from the ceiling and moved into Raven, and she opened her eyes again. She looked suspicious of Rose.
"Your mind is... different. If you are Terra, you don't have the same mind, or the same aura. I am willing to believe that you aren't the same girl, even if you were Terra at one point. However, I couldn't find your older memories. I don't know if they will ever come back."
Rose stood up, feeling strange as Raven hovered nearby. "What you saw... with that girl looking scared... I wasn't trying to hurt her."
Raven said nothing, just looking at Rose and waiting for an explanation.
"She... she had told my school that I was a metahuman. I got angry at her and punched her. Then my powers kind of went crazy and the room started collapsing. That's when she was looking up at me like that. I swear that I didn't mean to hurt her."
"Aside from punching her, you mean." Raven's voice was cold, but there was a twinge of sarcastic joking in it.
Rose smiled a little, despite the uncomfortable feeling of being here with this strange girl. "Yeah, aside from that. Anyway... what do you think I should do? I can't go back to school, and my apartment is probably covered in reporters or police or something."
"That raises a question. You are a high school student with no job and no memories from more than a few months ago. How do you afford an apartment?" Raven broke the lotus position, stepping to the floor. Rose felt better now that she was no longer flying.
"I live with my father. We have an apartment a few blocks from my school."
Raven narrowed her eyes. "Well, that is interesting. Terra's parents were both dead."
Rose smiled. "See? I'm not her. Hey, can I use your phone? I want to call dad and tell him where I am. It just occurred to me that he might be worried."
Raven coldly gestured towards a phone handset sitting on the coffee table. She made no indication that she intended to leave the room while Rose made her call. Rose picked up the phone, and dialed half of her number, before realizing that the line might be tapped while the school and police investigated her. Instead, she clicked the hangup button, and dialed Shawna's number. The phone rang twice, and then Shawna answered.
"H-Hello?" Shawna sounded very uncertain.
"Hi Shawna. It's Rose. Um, I was wondering what happened after I... left school today." Rose tried to keep her tone light and friendly.
"Rose? The caller ID says the number is blocked. Where are you?"
Rose laughed. "I'm in Titans' Tower. I came over here to see if I could get help with my powers. I guess they let you go home early? It can't be three yet."
"Yeah, they made us all leave. School is out for a few days while they repair the cafeteria. Your apartment had a bunch of policemen around it for a while, but they aren't there now. I went to see if you ever got back, but your dad was the only one there, and he freaks me out. Anyway, he said that you weren't home, but if I talked to you, to tell you to come home as soon as you can."
"Um... if he calls you, don't tell him where I went. He doesn't really like the Titans. Anyway, thanks Shawna. If you see Ashley, tell her I'm sorry." Rose felt strange talking to Shawna like this. She felt like they were worlds apart now.
Shawna seemed a bit unsure as well. "I will. I'll call her in a while and see how she is. I'm glad you're ok. You're still my friend, ok? Come see me when you get everything taken care of."
"Ok. Bye." Rose hung up the phone, and sat silently for a moment.
Raven looked at her, seemingly deciding on something. "You may wish to leave. The other Titans will be back in a few minutes. They just left the pizza place. If they came back to find you here, it may be... overwhelming to you."
Rose nodded. "Yeah, I should probably go. How do I get off of the island?"
Raven walked over to Rose, looking a little uncertain as well. Her voice bore a hint of warning. "Try not to move. Don't worry; you won't get hurt."
Rose tried not to move as some black shape went out from raven and surrounded her. For a moment, she found herself in a freezing cold black void, with nothing around her. She didn't have time to react, however, as She suddenly found herself standing on the shore, across the bay, with Raven beside her. "That is the easiest way. I can't tell you how the others will react, should you come back to Titans' Tower. I will not tell them you came by today unless you want me to."
Rose shook her head. "No, don't tell them. Beastboy was being really annoying last time, and I don't want him to come to my school again."
Raven seemed to almost smile. "I definitely know how you feel." In another moment, the black power covered her, and Raven was gone.
Rose sighed, walking up the shore and onto the nearest surface street. She recognized the area. She had about half an hour's walk to get home, and no money for a taxi. At least her uniform had dried.
Rose sighed, looking at her school as she walked past it. There were policemen and tape around the opening in the cafeteria wall, and tape barring entrance to school grounds. She didn't feel threatened by the police, for some reason. Having her powers, and knowing that she could at the least fly a short distance by riding a rock, made her feel as if the police didn't mean anything to her anyway.
Still, seeing the school closed and lonely made her realize what she'd done. In getting angry and destroying property, she had effectively shunned all of her friends and made herself even further outcast than just having the powers in the first place. Ashley, previously a very good friend, would probably never speak to her again. Shawna was all weirded out, and Rose couldn't really say that she felt any better herself.
Rose looked up at her apartment building, sighed, and then entered. She could feel the staff of the building watching her as she entered, but she didn't say anything to them. The elevator was thankfully empty and opened immediately, sparing her an uncomfortable wait.
After a long and uneventful ride up the elevator, Terra walked down the short hallway to her apartment. She noticed with a start that the door was ajar. Her father never left the door open. He was extremely secretive about people coming in. Her curiosity overpowering her caution, Rose crept towards the door, listening as best she could.
"-- don't care, Mr. Wilson. What you think that your daughter is capable of doesn't matter. We have to investigate and metahuman threats immediately." Rose didn't recognize the voice, but his official manner made her worry.
"As I've told you, Agent Fite, I don't know where she is or even if she will return." Rose's father's voice was cold and even, as usual, but there was a hint of irritation and anger there that Rose had learned to pick up on. "You understand, don't you? You have a daughter."
Agent Fite's voice changed; obviously he'd never told Slade about his daughter. "I don't know what you are talking about."
Slade spoke slowly, and the tone of his voice made even Rose's skin crawl. "Of course you do. Anita is 16 herself, in fact. Your little... 'Empress', I believe you call her. Are you certain that she is ok, Agent Fite? Leaving her home alone while you travel across the country to harass me is dangerous."
Agent Fite seemed to hesitate a moment. "I'm sure she's fine. She can handle herself."
"Can she? Perhaps you should go home and check on her."
Rose could hear the fear in Agent Fite's voice, even though he was trying to hide it. "I will send someone here periodically to check for her. I'll see you again."
"I have no doubt, Agent Fite." Rose stepped away from the door, standing inside a nearby alcove. She saw Agent Fite walk by, a fairly well-built man in his early forties. She heard her father call from the door to the apartment. "Agent Fite, one last thing. Tell Anita that the new wallpaper in her bedroom looks nice."
Rose jumped slightly as her father closed the door to her apartment. Agent Fite had apparently not noticed her as he rushed by, and she heard the elevator door close, ferrying him downwards. Rose shuddered. Who was that? Her father was strange, yes, but... it sounded like he'd been threatening that guy. Rose frowned. Something weird was going on, and not just her powers. Maybe she was being paranoid, with everything that had happened today. Maybe she was seeing something that wasn't there. But still, the fear in Agent Fite's voice, and the strange demeanor that her father was exhibiting... she couldn't be certain.
Rose came out of the small alcove, and unlocked the door to her apartment, stepping inside quietly. She called out, hoping that her father wouldn't think it was Agent Fite again. "Daddy? I'm home. I'm sorry it took so long."
Her father entered the foyer, looking calm and relaxed, despite the tense conversation that had just taken place. "I heard about an incident at your school today, my dear. It seems you don't quite know how to control yourself."
Rose shivered involuntarily. She suddenly felt uncomfortable. She walked past her dad, towards her room. "Ashley told everyone at my school that I was metahuman, and I kind of got mad at her. I accidentally wrecked the school, and I ran away to sort things out."
"Where did you run to, exactly? It's not safe to wander the streets alone." Slade's voice bore only a hint of accusation, and only cursory concern for her wandering the street.
"I.. just kind of ran away. I was at a wrecked amusement park for a while, and I sort of tested out my powers a little there, I guess." Rose sat on her bed, looking down at the floor. She really hated lying to her father, and leaving out the visit to the Titans was close enough.
Slade sat next to her, and when he spoke again he seemed less tense. "Do you know who that was? I know you heard me speaking with him. He was Agent Fite, with a law enforcement branch of the government that deals with metahumans. You have to be cautious of your abilities from now on."
Rose sighed. "You know, don't you?"
Slade said nothing.
"Ok, yes, I went to Titans' Tower. You know I don't like to lie, but you hate them, and I didn't want you to get mad."
"What happened with the Titans?" Her father's voice was cold and calculated as normal. Today, however, it seemed so alien. Rose was beginning to see why her friends were so hesitant to come to her house.
Rose tried to appear as if it made perfect sense and was completely normal for her to have visited the Titans. "Well, Raven was the only one there. We just kind of talked about my powers and about Terra. She tried to help me remember my past, but whatever she tried didn't work. You don't hate me, do you?"
Her father put his arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her. "Of course I don't hate you. I am simply concerned. The real question is: What now? Now that you cannot go back to school, and that you are known to various people as a new metahuman, what do you intend?"
Rose looked at the floor, uncertain of what to say. Everything she could think to do could cause all kinds of problems. Working through the options in her mind, she sat silently for a few moments.
"Rose, I will prepare dinner. Take some time to clear your thoughts. I will not pressure you to make any decisions right away." Slade rose, and left the room, closing her door behind him.
Rose sat in the silence of her room, her mind effectively blank. It had been an exceedingly long day, and all the stress had finally caught up with her. She tried to make a list of her problems, hoping that they would seem more manageable if she did.
First and foremost, she was a metahuman. Her powers weren't exactly under control, and so this was a big problem. No one really trusted any metahumans other than the big name heroes, like Superman or Wonder Woman.
Secondly, she couldn't go back to school, and her friends would probably act really weird around her now. This sounded ridiculous, even to Rose, but it was important. With no school, she'd be home alone with her thoughts all day, and go crazy. Without friends, she really had no one to lean on.
Third, she was apparently under investigation by the government. Thinking about it, it didn't seem that unreasonable. A girl freaks out and breaks open a hole in a wall at her school using her mind, and people get suspicious. Not knowing how to deal with his one, Rose continued.
Fourth, the Teen Titans now sort of knew she was around. Whether or not Raven actually told them didn't matter. If there were suddenly earthquakes or stone buildings being wrecked, Rose felt certain that they would suspect her.
Lastly, her father was being really strange. The way he'd threatened that officer, let alone that the police were apparently not watching her apartment, made Rose wonder what her dad was hiding. If Agent Fite hadn't wanted him to know about his daughter, then how did Slade know? Rose felt strange now, thinking about her father. She really didn't know that much about him. He had some job that she didn't know any specifics about, he often read over strange engineering diagrams, he trained himself in various martial arts for hours a day sometimes, and he was threatening government agents. It was just too strange.
Rose suddenly felt extremely tired, all of the day's activity catching up to her. Choosing to forgo dinner, she lay back on her bed, and fell asleep quickly.
Rose awoke to another morning, seemingly no different than any other. She sat up and stretched, then looked down at her dirty school uniform, and sighed. She stood up, groggily looking around the room. Finally snapping out of her sleepy daze, she walked over to her closet, pulling out a normal skirt and t-shirt. She quickly changed clothes, and stepped out of her room.
The apartment was completely silent. Rose walked to the kitchen, having skipped dinner last night and feeling hungry. A note on the fridge caught her eye.
"Rose, I have business to attend to, and I may not be back for a few days. Do not open the door for anyone. Do not answer the phone. You may call your friends, but do not leave the apartment unless necessary. I will return when I am able. --Slade."
Rose sighed. He'd said that he didn't have any work any time soon. Something unexpected must have happened at the office, or wherever he worked. With nothing pressing to do, Rose walked over to the front door, opened it, and picked up the newspaper from the hallway. Closing and locking the door again, she tossed the paper on the kitchen table, and fixed a bowl of cereal. Sitting down, she opened the paper to the front page.
"SCHOOL FOR SUPERVILLAINS? MURAKAMI HIGH DAMAGED IN METAHUMAN ACCIDENT" Rose's eyes widened at the front page headline. She read the article quickly. There was very little information of any use; just a vague retelling of the event and a few quotes from people at the school. There were photos of Shawna and Ashley, though they weren't being singled out; they were always in a crowd of students. Rose wasn't identified in the article, since she was a minor, but the article was definitely geared towards sensationalism, calling her a supervillain of all things.
Most of the quotes that had been printed were pretty negative. Rose felt betrayed reading them; most of the people had been acquaintances at least, if not friends. Reading the paper made her realize that going back to Murakami was impossible. Her life was forever changed. She sighed again, the silence of the apartment and the sensationalist newspaper making her feel even more alone. She needed to get out.
Since her dad wasn't there anyway, Rose decided to just leave. She didn't have anywhere to go really, so she just ambled out of the apartment, and down the street. Murakami High was still being treated as a crime scene, with yellow tape barring off large sections of the school. Rose gave the school a wide berth, heading downtown. Not much was going on, the streets weren't empty, but it wasn't crowded either. Rose walked in and out of random shops, looking objects that caught her eye, even though she didn't really have any money.
She was admiring the craftsmanship on a small glass trinket when she heard a loud crash outside. She barely had the presence of mind to place the item back on the shelf before running outside to investigate. People ran past her in a blind panic, and yet Rose ran against the tide, breaking through the crowd to find herself witnessing yet another metahuman combat.
What looked like a large, stone man was sitting in what looked like a large dent in the side of a building. Rose dodged to the left, ducking into a nearby alleyway, and watching as the Titans ran and flew across from a adjacent street, obviously pursuing the stone man.
"Cyborg! Get his feet before he can get up!" A young boy in a bright outfit was giving orders. Due to his fame, Rose immediately recognized him as Robin. He was kind of cute, in an athletic sort of way. Rose watched as a partially mechanical man, at least 18, bent a light pole around the Cinderblock's feet. She assumed he was Cyborg.
Before Cyborg could finish the tie, he was launched into the air by a swift kick from Cinderblock. A red haired, almost orange skinned girl immediately flew up to catch him. Rose assumed this was Starfire, since she was the only female Titan that Rose knew of besides Raven.
Robin dodged with agility that reminded Rose of her father, as Cinderblock impotently flailed his arms around. Rose ducked as a car flew past the alleyway, slamming Cinderblock sideways, and skidding on it's side down the road. Cinderblock struggled to his feet, only to be grabbed from behind by a large green ape, which Rose immediately recognized as Beastboy.
Cinderblock struggled a moment with the ape, and then pulled it over his shoulders, slamming it headfirst into the pavement, with an impact that shook the ground all the way where Rose was standing. The ape changed back into a human, laying dazedly on the concrete. Cinderblock raised a fist, but was assaulted with wildly thrown green bolts from Starfire before he could bring his hand down. He stumbled sideways, but reacted quickly, guarding his face with his arm, and throwing a nearby pile of debris at the girl. As she flew backwards, coughing from the dust and grit, Robin ran to catch her.
Rose saw that Raven was busy attending to Cyborg, who was apparently damaged from the kick earlier, and Robin was preoccupied with Starfire. Beastboy was still dazed on the ground, and Cinderblock was advancing. She watched, feeling helpless as the stone man rose his hand in a deathblow for the young green teenager. Rose felt some unfamiliar feeling rise within her, a protectiveness and boldness that she didn't recognize. "Beastboy! Lookout!"
With her shout, Rose raised her hands, activating her powers and flinging Cinderblock up into the air. She held him there, hovering thirty feet up, as Beastboy struggled to his feet. Suddenly, the heavy Cinderblock felt lighter, and Rose was aware of Raven standing next to her. Raven's hands were glowing black, if such a thing was possible. Robin was helping Beastboy away, and Raven said simply, "Let go of him."
Rose let her powers fade, and Cinderblock was held in the air by Raven's powers, appearing as a strange outlined shape in the black glow of her ability. Raven slammed the bestial stone man into the ground, dazing him long enough for the repaired Cyborg to bind his feet and arms. Raven turned towards Rose, as the other Titans began to run towards her. "For better or worse, they know you're back now."
Rose forced an awkward smile as the Titans crowded around her in happy disbelief.
"Uh... Hi."
A/N: A lot happens in this chapter! Rose continues to struggle with her amnesia and her present changing life. I'm sure that being surrounded in people that know the 'original' her will really help out. Thanks for the continuing support, of course, and I will try to make the next chapter take less time. Thanks for all the reviews, and I hope to see you next chapter.