A/N: My muse is talking to me again! I can't explain how HAPPY that makes me! Which means that after over 2 Years (SO sorry about that BTW… Work was apparently too much for my Muse and she took a Sabbatical without Telling Me! Which means ALL my stories have suffered her loss, not just this one…) I can post another chapter! YES!
~JoW
Day three of being back home and the team still had no idea about how they were going to attack and take down Terra: Apprentice of Slade. Since they didn't know exactly what she could do or what her powers could do- yes Kikyo remembered that Terra had looked at her hands in askance just after the mud, soil and stone drones were formed.
So they had all agreed to take at least ten minutes before returning to the squad room and pitching new ideas.
Starfire had offered the idea of a full-on assault on Terra: Apprentice of Slade, however-a full-on assault was a bad idea; they'd tried fighting with everything they had and had been out maneuvered. Likewise, waiting for night-fall before attacking wasn't the best plan either- there would be no other noises from nature or such forth to hide their attack. Cyborg had offered to cause all the sirens on cars, and in buildings to go off until Raven had asked him what would happen if the police came back to find that the alarms had gone off in the jewelry stores or in the Jump City Banks without someone coming to check them out, and just who would they blame if there was even a dollar stolen from it.
Lack of nature and camouflage in the city nixed Beast Boy's idea.
So that just left Youkai and Miko. Youkai's ideas had been immediately withdrawn from voting as at least two of his plans involved the severe maiming of either Slade or Terra; and that wasn't how they did things.
Miko had stayed silent but agreed to come back with the rest of the Titans and pitch an idea or two to her teammates.
So, Kagome and Kikyou were back in her room just thinking; as they hadn't a clue what idea would allow them to save the city, take down Slade and His Apprentice, and subsequently bring the civilians back to Jump.
So instead, Kagome and Kikyou were reminiscing, as they flipped through a disguised scrapbook that Shippo had conformed for her.
~I didn't realize that you even had pictures of Naraku or I…~ Kikyou said in awe; ~You had a lot of nerve back then…~
'Why do you think Inuyasha was yelling at me so often for?" Kagome asked, laughter in her mental voice resounding with a slightly melancholic tone.
~Naraku certainly was a sneaky bugger wasn't he?~ Kikyou asked her incarnate…
'Yes- he….' Kagome's head jerked up. 'If we can get a type of miasma to cover the area without harming anyone…!'
~Any form of miasma will harm, Kagome…~ Kikyou advised; ~Best you ask your teammates for help perpetuate the idea…~
With a grin crossing her dominoed face, Miko slapped the scrapbook closed, and tossed it into her nightstand drawer, and raced out of her room and into the basement where her teammates were gathered.
When Miko proposed her plan to her teammates, they stared at her, asking her if she was losing her mind; and then after taking a second to breath after the deluge of demands and questions, they then questioned why they or- at the very least, Robin didn't think of it.
So Robin smacked Youkai in the back of the head.
They now had a plan and with Robin's execution, they had a way to attack Terra: Apprentice of Slade.
They were the Teen Titans, and there was no way that they couldn't succeed.
Unless Beast Boy sneezed or something.
Terra: Apprentice of Slade was patrolling the City from above on her geokinetically floating rock; below her in the streets of Jump were the Slade-bots patrolling the streets of the deserted city. There were wisps of fog along the city streets, some came across the rooftops and Terra flew through them on her geo-kinetically controlled piece of earth and street/
She felt no pity, no remorse, and no triumph.
She felt empty.
Slade contacted her on the headphone/hair-clips.
'"A world without Titans; I was beginning to think I'd never see the day… But at long last the city is ours and victory is mine. Fine work Apprentice. You have made me Very proud."'
'"Thanks,"' Terra: Apprentice of Slade said with little inflection; '"it was fun.'"
As she floated past different areas of the city she recalled some of her times when she infiltrated the Titans.
They'd had fun, they'd protected the City.
They'd been friends.
They'd been tools in their own destruction.
But to all that, Terra felt empty.
Not nothing, but empty, like all her emotions had been pulled out of her head; not since she'd attacked and killed Robin.
To some degree it bothered her, but not to the degree that she'd even think about doing something about it.
"'Sector five is secured. Pretty quiet out here since all the people cleared out."' Terra: Apprentice of Slade said making a statement more than an observation. More of the fog reached higher encroaching the empty streets and rooftops easily.
"'Get used to it my dear. This city is only the first of many."'
'"I know."' Terra: Apprentice of Slade said as she turned from the rooftop and street she observed to float down the city-block.
She flew down to street level, encountering more of the fog, or was it mist, there was no scent to it, and even fog had some scent.
As Terra: Apprentice of Slade floated down the street past the closed and completely empty bank, she remembered Mumbo Jumbo bursting out of the bank large bags of money in his hands, chased by Robin and the other Titans- only to be met with a large boulder that fell nearly gently on him, but easily pinned him down to the street, wand out of reach. Money flew everywhere as Robin cheered at the easy victory and Beast Boy cheered her on.
Flying past the empty entrance of the park, she remembered sharing time with Beast Boy and laughing at one of his tales.
Slade-mongo-bots littered the streets, but weren't in her way at all, as she flew her rock just above their 'heads'.
Terra: Apprentice of Slade looked down the street to the darkened Titans Tower. "'Well, we did it. They're really gone."'
Suddenly a black power wrapped around one of the Slade-mongo-bots and pulled it away; another stepped forward to take its place as others approached, yet they were blasted by green and electric blue energy, and exploded on contact.
Not seen by Terra: Apprentice of Slade, were Miko and Youkai, perched on one of his clouds as they controlled the air and made it as still as they could to provide cover and concealment from Terra: Apprentice of Slade.
Terra: Apprentice of Slade fell to the ground as her piece of earth exploded and she struggled to get up.
"'Apprentice Report! What's going on?!"' Slade demanded through the hairclips.
Through the mists, she saw three figures. Beast Boy, Robin and Cyborg.
"'No! I destroyed you…"' Terra: Apprentice of Slade declared to all who'd listen, even as she crawled backwards on her hands. "'You're all-"'
As Terra: Apprentice of Slade backed away even more as the ghosts of the Titans remained stationary, Slade was ordering her.
'"Terra- Attack Now!"' Terra did as she was ordered and using her powers, threw a large piece of Earth in their direction. When it hit, it crashed against an upside-down car and one of its wheels spun squeakily against its brakes.
Terra: Apprentice of Slade got up from her position and noticed that her powers had cleared an area around her, so she was able to see about ten foot circumference, however- that circumference was lessening. She darted her eyes from side to side as she heard a large dog race behind her, even as footsteps echoed in front of her.
A large fist hit her in the back, pushing her to the edge of the cleared area, as a blast of power hit her knocking her to the ground and into the mists once again.
Groaning as she got up, Terra: Apprentice of Slade saw the shades of Raven and Beast Boy. Now in fear, she used her powers to try to escape only to be brought down by a green blast of power. As she fell, she angled her body to land on the balls of her feet as she used an armored hand to slow her recoil on the asphalt.
She saw the shade of Robin run and leap at her, with a leg made to hit her harshly; however, when she raised a wall of earth to protect her, three things exploded in her face and was blasted by another bit of electric blue power as she fell backwards hitting the ground harder than intended, she heard her Master ordering her again.
"'On your Feet Terra! Your suits neural interface allows me to assist you in combat; but I can only help if you get up and Fight!"'
Recognizing the order, Terra: Apprentice of Slade stared daringly into the still mists again. As she stared into them, she saw the form of Cyborg running at her and she was encompassed in a pillar of her own power, knocking the shade- or was it the shade, she had never seen their dead bodies- off its feet. But she was suddenly pulled into a sharp grasp of power and as it flew into the sky Terra: Apprentice of Slade recognized the Ravenesque form even if its red eyes were disconcerting.
The suit and her Master made her eyes go yellow as she connected to her power and she was pushed from its grasp with a pillar of earth. She landed easily on another piece of earth in her ready pose, only to be knocked off by a warm body and landed in a three point stance on the street below, deep in the mists.
Now she was sure of it. The Teen Titans were back, and they wanted to get even.
From the mists in front of her she was to form of a large wolf appear- growling and snarling at her. But it stayed in the mists.
"'Beast Boy. Beast Boy! Aren't you even going to talk to me?"' Terra: Apprentice of Slade asked desperately.
"'There's nothing left to say."' Terra: Apprentice of Slade heard from her left to see Cyborg's form.
'"You attempted to Annihilate us!"' Terra: Apprentice of Slade heard Star-Fire say from behind her and she turned to face them in fear.
'"Did you think we wouldn't take it personally"' Raven's shadow asked in her monotone voice, though it was slightly edged in annoyance, or was that anger… With Raven it was Really hard to tell.
'"It's Over Terra!"' Robin declared, still entrenched in the mists.
Terra: Apprentice of Slade stood and turned slightly, being able to see that the Titans had surrounded her. The only ones she didn't see were Miko and Youkai.
Then she reflected back on how she took Miko and then Youkai down. Miko, who had done nothing to her- who had been nothing but kind…
Terra had attacked her as she was coming out of an herbal shoppe, no doubt getting more ingredients to try to help Beast Boy's friend, Kagome.
The first rock crushed the delicate glass bottles containing the mixtures she'd needed for Kagome, before shoving into her stomach, glass shards embedding into her uniform- sure to cause pain later. The second larger rock hit the back of Miko's knees pulling her feet out from under her, causing her to land heavily on her back, knocking the wind out from her. Terra wasn't going to make the same mistake she did with Raven; she wouldn't let Miko speak. When Miko tried to get up, trying to flip into position, Terra caused a miniature earthquake making her fall to her knees. Pieces of sidewalk folded over Miko's arms, holding her in place for her assault. Then armed with a multitude of pebbles she attacked Miko unrelenting, piercing her skin, perforating it in some places. The coup de grâce was the large boulder that she purposefully guided over Miko's legs, crushing the bones beneath and then lifted the boulder up before bringing it down harshly. But Terra: Apprentice of Slade had turned away before it struck, she still had an smidge of humanity left; though her Master praised her on the quick and vengeful attack.
Terra had decided to go after Youkai using Miko's abilities. She'd had Slade translate their names; Youkai meaning Demon and Miko meaning Priestess.
She'd gone into the abandoned T-Tower and forcefully opened Miko's room, having already been down to the lower levels of the Tower- she hadn't been able to get into the basement to access Miko's training shadows to hand over to Slade in use against the city and any future Superhero efforts. Once in Miko's room, she rifled through Miko's things until she found a lacquered box filled with things Slade called Sutras; which were used against supernatural things, like Youkai... He was harder to find and even harder to capture; when she finally did find him, it was near the place that she had killed Miko. Miko's sutras did the trick, if she didn't know better, she'd say that the foreign writing on the sutras was masculine... Youkai was on his toes when she came after him. Sure Youkai was good looking, but he was also a hero in Jump City, and that meant he had to go down. Using her powers, she used a pebble to stick the sutra in the middle of his spine made him immobile and an easy target; but she stuck others to him to enforce them. Despite the 'power' the sutras held Terra wasn't going to take any chances. She hit Youkai with everything Slade had taught her, and gosh but he had abs of steel! Like she did with Miko, Terra used a boulder to end him, but considering his namesake, she wanted to end him thoroughly. She opened up the street beneath him and allowed gravity and the Boulder to pull him to his doom. She turned away just as she closed the earth over the fissure she'd created forever entombing Youkai in the pressure of the earth.
Just as Terra: Apprentice of Slade raised a hand in offense or defense, Miko leapt down, using her tessen fully extended to spiral to the ground. "Terra, give up. Let your decency stand a chance and take honor in the restitution for what you've done." Youkai followed her, almost floating to the ground.
Terra said nothing, just stared at Miko and Youkai for a full minute before getting to her feet and running away.
Miko and Youkai shared a look before taking to the skies on Youkai's cloud.
Terra ran away from the scene of the encounter with the Titans as Miko and Youkai followed her from above.
'"Where do you think you're going young lady?!"' Slade demanded.
"'Anywhere! I was getting thrashed!"' Terra: Apprentice of Slade declared to her Master on the other end of her communicator.
'"No! I will Not tolerate failure Apprentice! I will not Permit you to Run Away! You Will Stay! You Will Fight, and You Will Win!"'
Terra edged around the corner of the Alley she was hiding in just in time to get slammed by Cyborg; closely followed by Beast Boy, Raven and Star-Fire.
Just as Terra summoned a piece of asphalt to the air, to engage Star-Fire, she was pulled to the ground by Robin's grappler.
She rose from the ground to do something similar as she'd done to Miko, except this time she wasn't focusing on the smallest pieces of rock; she just geokinetically raised the detritus and tried to slam it into Robin, who leapt backwards, when Star-Fire attacked her once again, she did the same thing, but was blasted backwards by a star-bolt powered by Righteous Fury. She landed awkwardly on her feet to get punched backwards by Cyborg and the had a close encounter with the undercarriage of a Transit Bus, courtesy of Raven.
It was part of the plan that Miko and Youkai not attack Terra: Apprentice of Slade, and instead, wait for her to lead them to Slade's hideout.
'"Slade! Help! I can't do this alone!"' Terra begged her master.
'"Dear Child; You are Never Alone."' There was something sinister in the way that Slade said that, but Terra was too preoccupied with getting her keister handed to her to notice; but Youkai did hear it. From the sewers of the City, Slade activated his trio of pawns- using his nanites to force the three of them to bind together to create a super-pawn.
'"...And I thought they were ugly before."' Cyborg said with the aire of someone viewing a horrific car-accident in slow motion.
'"Titans! Go!"' Robin commanded the team, with a subtle nod to Miko and Youkai. This Was the Plan.
When Terra raced away from the Titans as the Slade-bots and the monstrosity conglomeration of Plasmus-Cinderblock-Overload engaged the rest of the Titans, Miko and Youkai raced after her. Miko had the feeling that life was about to get harder for the young hero-turned-Villain's Apprentice.
They trailed behind Terra and when Terra plowed through the doors they jumped in immediately and Youkai silently launched them towards a ceiling alcove. From there they watched events unfold.
"'Slade...! I made it...! I'm alive!"' Terra said out of breath as she jogged up to her Master. "'I can't believe they almost beat me!"'
Terra was grateful to have made it back to Slade's lair without being seen by the other Titans, but Slade was far less than thrilled. When Slade backhanded Terra Miko had to withhold Youkai from attacking Slade- this was a hard lesson that Terra needed to learn. Even Miko had learned this form of lesson in the Sengoku Jidai; she turned to Youkai and sent the sensation that she requested heavily that he return to help the rest of their team.
"'That was Nothing compared to What I'm Going to Do to You."' Slade said as he loomed over his apprentice.
Youkai wasn't happy but he agreed and while Slade was occupied with berating Terra, he slipped out back to help his teammates with the Conglomeration.
Youkai got back to the rest of the Titans as Plasmus-Cinderblock-Overload chewed-up Cyborg and spit him out, down the street.
As Raven drew the super-pawn's attention, Youkai aimed for the device he saw being used to control the three imbedded in the super-pawn's chest. Unfortunately, the Super-pawn Would Not Stay Still long enough (thanks to Raven) to delicately remove the device. So instead, he moved to assist Cyborg who was getting nearly trashed by a mongo-bot.
Cyborg had just been slammed against the wall of a building by a second mongo-bot and was about to get laser-blasted, when Beast Boy bit the 'head' off the mongo-bot before transforming back.
"'Where's Terra?!"' He demanded of Cyborg and Youkai.
'"What's the matter; a giant robot army and a Franken-thingy not enough for you?"'
Youkai looked at Cyborg, "It's not enough for me... I need the practice."
If anything Beast Boy's glare got harder. '"I don't care about them. I Want Terra."' Beast Boy said in a clipped tone.
Miko was still observing Terra and Slade and had had to be reminded by Kikyo that this was almost part of the plan. Not the 'Watch Terra get kicked and slapped around by the Villain that she was apprenticed to' part, but to ultimately stop Slade.
'"You Failed Me Apprentice. I ordered you to Eliminate the Titans- You Did Not. I Commanded you to Fight- and You Ran..."'
Terra groaned in pain as she got to her feet. "'You can't Treat me Like This!"' She complained.
'"Can't I?"' Slade demanded, just before he backhanded her into one of the cave's walls. '"Who else would have you my dear? You've Done Horrible things."' Slade said as he approached Terra's bruised and battered form that was once again trying to get up. "'Unforgivable Things... Where else could you possibly go?"'
'"Anywhere but here!"' When Miko heard that statement that Terra made, Miko made the decision to allow Terra one last chance to redeem herself. Miko positioned herself further into the alcove and went into meditation to communicate with Terra through her powers. It was a long-shot, but those were the kind that she liked best. '"I'm Sick of Fighting, and I'm! Sick! Of! You!"'
Miko knew she made the correct decision when Terra struggled to remove the armor that graced Terra's body.
'"You'll find that's most impossible."' Slade said lazily. "'The Suit's neural-interface has Integrated into Your Nervous System... Into Your Skin...'" The last part was said with a sneer. '"It's part of you... And So am I Terra."' Slade said, a smirk could be heard behind his mask.
It was a tricky business, but since she was a Miko and all good Miko communed with Nature; in Theory, she should able to connect with the powers of the Earth beneath and around her and them to talk to Terra, when the time came. Hopefully.
Terra wanted desperately to deny what Slade had done to her and she'd agreed unknowingly to, but she knew that Slade would do Anything to Take Down the Titans. Her armor was proof of that.
'"You chose this life apprentice... It's too late to change your mind now... Far Too Late."'
'"But it's not too late for me to Walk Out The Door."' Terra sneered to her former master; Terra had to test it. Slade's ability to use her powers meant that he had Some measure of control over her body, or her powers. She just needed to see How Much he had Control over her.
'"I'm afraid it is my dear; you see- You no longer have Any Control in the Matter..."'
And Just like Terra feared, he made her freeze and drop to her knees in pain as the neural connections in her suit came to life and every nerve in her body was forced to do what He Wanted. A single gesture brought her to her feet, and despite trying to stop it with every ounce of will she could muster, Slade still brought her within inches of his hand, where he reached those last inches and cupped her chin.
'"You Promised to Fight at my Side Forever; and That's a Promise I Intend To Make You Keep."'
Miko did her best to block out what was Happening to Terra. She could feel Terra's powers struggling to come to her aid; and in doing so, they were lashing out at her. The Familiar that Youkai had graced her with was doing its best to sooth her metaphysical wounds, so that she could continue to bring the misguided teen back to fighting the good fight.
The rest of the Titans had just brought Plasmus-Cinderblock-Overload down, after eliminating the Slade-Bots.
'"We're going to need a bigger jail..."' Raven said as she looked at the downed figure of the Super-Pawn.
"Not so much as you might think… Shield Cy and Rob a moment, for me, Raven; would you?" Youkai requested. Raven did so, just as Youkai opened and closed a small device.
"Was that supposed to do something?" Cyborg asked as Raven released her Shadow shield.
They looked on in surprise as the Super-Pawn separated; becoming an unconscious young man, Cinderblock and Red Disk.
"Just separating the three Beasts..." Youkai said with a smirk.
"What was that? A Pokéball?" Raven asked Youkai dryly.
"You wish." He responded, his smirk growing.
'"Where Is Beast Boy?'" Star-Fire asked drawing their attention to their unplanned missing team member.
'"Five Kilometers East and Eight Hundred Meters below the surface..."' Robin stated, bringing out the communicator which apparently doubled as a tracker that he always carried on him to keep in contact with his team.
Miko was getting closer. Terra's powers no longer lashed out at her, instead- they moved around her almost like a Dance. There was something about Terra that didn't add up. Her name, her powers... they were all Too Coincidental.
That was when Beast Boy arrived.
Even he could see that Terra's geokinetic abilities fighting the control of Slade.
It was almost as if he could see her aura.
A quick sniff identified where Miko was just as Slade, controlling Terra, forced her body into a power pose allowing BB to actually see her golden aura of geokinetic energy surrounding her hands and forcing her eyes to glow sun-yellow.
Slade- through Terra- summoned slabs of hardened earth from in front of Terra and threw them at BB who changed into a (red)Green-tailed hawk
"She" (meaning Slade through Terra) followed his progress around the room until he was in the direction of Slade where he turned into a wolf and tried to attack Slade. However, a slab of wall slammed into Beast Boy tossing him from his attack.
Beast Boy hit the opposing wall just beneath where Miko had sequestered herself.
'"What Have You Done to Her?!"' Beast Boy demanded as "she" walked through the dirt laden air.
'"Nothing she didn't want me to. Terra came to Me seeking control and that's Precisely What I've Given her: My Control, Her Body… I think you'll find I make far better use of her powers…"' Slade said raising his hand perpendicular to the floor- mirrored by Terra.
Focusing on the rubble surrounding Beast Boy, it was only a moment before he was crushed by a boulder, so he transformed into a rat sand scampered towards the two.
Another gesture from Slade had Terra using her powers to form a platform of Earth underneath Beast Boy and slam it into the ceiling.
Beast Boy could smell the effort Miko was putting into to whatever she was doing; so he was trying to give her time to do whatever mojo she needed to… So here he was up against Slade and Terra, by himself, stalling.
Just before the platform slammed into the ceiling Rat-Beast Boy jumped off and transformed into a rhino and landing- or would have landed heavily on Terra had Slade not used her powers to pull her into the ground.
This was close.
Miko had an easier chance "Talking" to Terra the longer she used her powers and was connected to/in the earth.
Terra heard one phrase in her head that sounded strangely like Miko: 'Your Body- your Mind- Its Power'."
Terra didn't understand and mentally screamed in confusion to the 'voice' of Miko.
But that didn't matter as Slade used Terra to form a column block of Earth and pull it into the air only to flake off the edges until it formed a sharp point at the base.
"She" then aimed it at Beast Boy who turned into a Boa Constrictor in order to avoid getting shivved painfully.
Beast Boy moved away from his would-be girlfriend and hissed at her only for "her" to form a hand of clay and grab him around the middle.
"That's my good little girl…" Slade crooned with a smirk behind his mask as "she" tightened the hands' grip just as Beast Boy was transforming in to something larger- a gorilla as it turned out.
Terra heard Slade and was crying and screaming inside her head when she heard the voice again- It Was Miko's voice saying: 'Your Body, your Mind, Its Power.'
What did Miko Mean?!
Beast Boy in gorilla form leapt and knocked Terra to the ground, giving Miko the contact she needed to give Terra a chance to talk, as the fall momentarily halted Slade's power over her body.
'"You have to stop me Beat Boy…! Please! I Don't Want to Fight Anymore!"'
Beast Boy turned back into his normal green form.
'"Then Don't Let Slade Control You Anymore!"' He demanded, his voice echoing slightly in the cavern.
'"I don't have a choice."' Terra said sullenly.
'"That's a Lie! You've ALWAYS Had a Choice!"' Beast Boy declared.
Slade didn't like that- he Had to get Beast Boy off and away from his puppet.
There was just a moment between Terra and Beast Boy when Terra felt her power being used against her will again.
Suddenly "she" slammed two towers, the size of a fist each up into Beast Boy's chest and into the wall underneath where Miko was hiding.
Beast Boy wasn't going to give up. Like Miko, there was something he Saw in Terra.
'"It's ALL been Your Choice!"' Beast Boy said as he got up and cracked his left arm for a moment. '"You chose to work for Slade. You chose to betray us- and NOW you've Chosen to Give Him Control!"' Beast Boy stalked up to Terra: Puppet of Slade. '"Slade isn't doing this Terra! You ARE!"' He pushed a finger into the chest plate of the armor to slam his point home.
"'No!"' Terra declared, crushing the rock in a circle leaving her on a pedastle, and Beast Boy to fall, only to turn into a Hawk and fly out of the deep moat Terra had made and land easily facing her some distance away.
Terra: "Puppet" of Slade used her powers to drive Beast Boy off his feet. But he turned into a wolf to outrun Terra's denial while using her powers against her former boyfriend.
Then all in the cavern heard a yelp, and when the dust and debris cleared from the air, Terra saw Beast Boy still in wolf form, but growling at her.
She gasped, as Slade congratulated her.
'"Very Good my Dear… Now, shall we finish him off?"' Slade asked/commanded.
Terra tried resisting Slade's control over her body, but once again she heard the voice, clearer than before: 'Your Body, your Mind, Its Power.'
Beast Boy turned back into his human form as Slade made Terra stand in front of him, forcing her to raise a hand, yellow with the use of her geokinetic ability that Terra was struggling to subdue.
"'Terra, no…"' Beast Boy said.
'"He's too powerful… I can't Stop Him!"' She complained urgently to Beast Boy struggling to convey her efforts to halt the issue.
'"Yes, you, can. It's Your power, Not His. You can Still Control it."' Beast Boy said even as he cringed away from her glowing hand. He had the distinct feeling that if it came close to him then he would never do Anything Ever Again. '"You can Still do the Right thing!"'
'"It's too late."' Terra said, giving up her control.
Slade used the powers of his puppet to form a spiked column above Beast Boy's head, intent on impaling the young hero.
But those words reverberated in her head: 'Your Body, your Mind, Its Power.'
The spike drew closer to Beast Boy due to the powers of Terra: Puppet of Slade; causing Beast Boy to gasp.
'"Stop!'" Miko heard the voice of Robin yell as she felt Youkai land next to her, keeping her stable. Terra had unconsciously drawn from the walls as well as the floor, and it was only due to Miko's stiff posture that she didn't fall from her position even with nearly half the ledge underneath her missing.
'"Strike Apprentice! Now!"' Slade commanded.
But the other Titans came into the room from a vent in the ceiling (again caused by Terra's powers) making it that much easier for the Titans to come to their team-members' aid.
Star-Fire was airborne, facing Terra but close enough that she could leap down and come to Beast Boy's aid.
Cyborg was closest to Robin, but near perpendicular to Terra's position.
Raven came from the shadows behind Terra, her powers flaring and ready to use due to her anger at her former friend, and teammate, now traitor. '"It'll be the Last thing you ever do!"' She warned her.
Terra's pupils shrank in fear as she saw the Titans ready their weapons and power directly at her in defense of their downed teammate.
'"I Gave You An Order!"' Slade snarled at his puppet. '"Do IT!"' He commanded her.
Terra didn't know why he didn't control her through the suit. If he wanted it so much why didn't he use her powers to make it happen?
Miko's voice was louder now, but it was laced with something that was deeper, older, stronger. 'Your Body, your Mind, Its Power.'
'"Please Terra! No!"' Star-Fire begged even as her Starbolts flared in her hands and through her eyes.
'"Don't do It! Don't. Do. It!"' Cyborg yelled at her, his sonic cannon charged and pointed at her.
'"Listen to us Terra."' Robin tried to reason with her.
'"We're not playing around here…!"' Cyborg stated.
'"Fight it Terra!"' Raven demanded of her.
'"Stop, friend."' Star-Fire soothed. '"We are trying to help!"'
'"You don't have to do this…"' Robin continued. He was saying the same words from when she'd tried to kill him.
Their voices layered over one another, making it hard to hear anything. But she heard Beast Boy and she heard Miko.
'"It's your life Terra, your choice…"' Beast Boy reminded her, but he knew that if it had to end like this, then he would go out doing everything he could to bring his friend back from the 'dark-side'.
'Your Body, your Mind, Its Power.' Miko's voice was clear. But her voice also sounded…old. Old as the Earth… itself.
"'It's Never too late to change."' Beast Boy concluded.
That was when Terra knew. '"Sorry Beast Boy… For everything I've Done."' Terra said.
Beat Boy looked at her. This was it then.
Terra took a moment to center herself before she attacked Slade. Slade was so surprised he didn't even think to use his control over her suit to force her to stop.
The Stalagmite he'd forced her to create and almost impale Beast Boy with crashed into the ground where he stood, sending him backwards, making him land on his back.
Terra hadn't felt this good since before she met the Titans. She felt connected.
Miko Was right. 'Your Body, your Mind, Its Power.' Terra was her own person. But she was also the Earth. She would have to find a way to nullify Slade's control if she was to be herself after this.
Miko collapsed backwards into Youkai. She'd done it.
Youkai rolled his eyes. If she continued to do things like this, then he definitely understood his uncle's exasperation with the Miko.
"We should join the others…" Youkai suggested.
"Good idea… Terra will be able to handle Slade all on her own." Miko said, finality in her voice.
"What do you know that I don't?" He asked her as he led them in a graceful fall to the cavern floor near where Star-Fire was floating.
Miko merely gave him a tired smile.
Terra used her powers to raise a section of earth beneath her feet and guided it upwards at the same time as she used her powers to create a rift in the ground to try to capture Slade; like she had done to Cyborg and Beast Boy when she had been Slade's unknowing pawn yet willing apprentice.
Slade used one of the pieces of caving rock as a springboard and leapt to the rafters some ten feet up.
Terra followed him and shook the rafters clear to dislodge him.
While Terra was dealing with her former Master, Cyborg raced to the side of his downed green teammate and dislodged the heavy rocks pinning his leg.
Robin took over Cyborg's guard positon as Cyborg freed Beast Boy.
Slade got to his feet from the fall of the rafters and turned slightly to see a pissed Terra floating on her rock, glaring harshly at him; rocks were still falling from the ceiling and wall that had dislodged the rafters.
'"You- Ungrateful Little-!"' Slade snarled as he ran to attack Terra. But Terra wasn't going to let that happen; with a yell, she pulled the earth in front of her upwards and with Slade on it followed him.
The large piece of earth hiding Slade from her broke apart and she stood in the middle, glaring down at the crouching form of Slade.
With an enraged yell, her hair starting to float, she grabbed each rock from where was floating due to her powers, and with her powers, threw rock by large rock at Slade, striking him backwards towards the edge of the cliff-tower she'd made.
Slade tried to guard, but knew that it wouldn't be good enough. Something was blocking his control over Terra. He couldn't make his Apprentice stop, so he allowed himself to fall and then when Terra thought it was over, he would strike.
He heard Terra land and walk two steps towards the edge, and just as she leaned over to get a closer look at his downed form, he leapt up, striking Terra hard across the face with a right-cross. Slade had hoped that the strike would allow him Some base control over his former Apprentice, but no such luck; the suit and control over Terra were still not responding.
Terra landed harshly, barely able to prop herself up using her arms, her hair covering her face when Slade stepped forward and grabbed her. With his hand around her armor, he lifted her upwards so that he could stare into her defeated face.
But like Robin, she knew when to wait. It was only a moment before Terra's eyes opened flaring yellow with her hair and armor-bandages lifting with the use of her powers.
'"You. Can't. Control. Me. Any More!"' Terra: Hero declared. With her powers lighting the area around them like a miniature sun, she turned the upper level of the cliff-tower into a lava-explosion.
The Titans covered their faces from the debris as it rained on them. When the dust in the air had cleared for the most part, they saw Terra standing on one of her geokinetically controlled rocks, before she fell to her knee; that apparently took a lot out of her.
Suddenly from behind and to the left of the Titans, they felt a sudden surge of heat and they turned to see what it was.
It was Robin who identified it first. '"Terra's power- It's triggered a Volcano!"'
As more eruptions happened, Cyborg looked at the readout of the Jump City limits on his left arm. '"Big enough to take out the Whole City!"' He declared to everyone. '"And WAY too big to STOP!"' Cyborg was glad that in this instance they didn't have to worry about evacuating the town.
Youkai was still supporting Miko, who once again focused on Terra. This time, she was able to speak to Terra: Earth's Avatar clearly.
'Terra, YOU can do this.'
As a wave of lava came close to Raven, she used her powers to smother it. '"We Have to Get Out of here!"' Raven declared to her team.
Robin agreed because with a 'Forward!' move indicated that the team should leave immediately, if not sooner.
Youkai glanced at Beast Boy who remained behind with Terra.
'When I do this… I'll revert. I won't remember how to use my powers or any of you…' Terra 'said' to Miko. 'It'll take some time, but I'll come back.'
'Recover thoroughly.' Miko replied.
'My mind, my Body, It's Power.'
Youkai and Miko waited near the entrance of the cavern, but it was too far for Youkai to hear what Terra and Beast Boy were saying to one another over the lava explosions, and falling debris.
They did however see Beast Boy clasp her on the shoulders as she came close before Terra hugged him desperately; then she separated the piece of rock they were standing on, pushing Beast Boy nearer to his awaiting team.
The entire team was at the entrance as Beast Boy on his floating rock cam nearer, and Cyborg helped him disembark. With a backward glance at Terra, their friend and fellow hero, the ran for the surface; allowing Terra to use her powers to stop the full eruption that was impending.
It was two days later when the team was finally able to enter the cavern as the lava had cooled and hardened thanks to Terra's remnant powers. The people of Jump City were now returning, and it was no longer a ghost town.
They stood in front of her fossilized form, and Beast Boy said a eulogy.
'"Her name was Terra, and she was gifted with tremendous power; and cursed with it as well. She was a dangerous enemy, and a good friend; and she was one of the bravest people that I have Ever Known."'
Star-Fire laid a bouquet of red roses and tulips at the feet of the fossilized Terra. '"I shall miss you, f-friend."' She said quietly.
'"We'll be searching for a way to reverse the effect."' Raven told her teammate not unkindly.
'"We'll bring her back."' Robin promised the team, and himself.
'"Someday."' Cyborg agreed.
Neither Miko nor Youkai said anything; despite the sadness of the idea, Terra was part of the Earth, she was its avatar, and had a unique relationship with it.
Miko knew that the armor Terra wore was blended with her skin and her nervous system. Terra had greeted her when they entered and basically told them that she was a chrysalis form until the armor disengaged from her, and then she would have to heal.
Miko didn't ask how Terra knew this, but she knew that she wasn't supposed to speak of it to her friends and teammates.
Beast Boy then stepped forward and placed a plaque at the base of the rock Terra was standing on. '"I'll never forget you, Terra."' He said quietly, bowing his head slightly. Miko placed a hand on his shoulder as the team turned to leave.
Youkai re-read the plaque just before he left; it read:
TERRA
A True Titan
A True Friend
The Titans returned to their Tower in a somber mood, Cyborg going to his garage, Robin to his Slade room to remove the Slade paraphernalia he's gathered. Raven went to her room to read, and Star-Fire went to her room to get the ingredients for the 'Pudding of Sadness'. Beast Boy just went to the shore and sat on one of the rocks.
Miko and Youkai sat in the entertainment room for ten minute before going back down to the squad room.
Terra hadn't said ANYTHING about the glowing green-ness affecting the land or earth itself, although Kyushu was still a concern to Miko. Aqualad was still out of commission, so they couldn't contact him; and they didn't know of Any Heroes who used plants as weapons or control over plants.
Miko groaned to herself, wiping her hands down her face; this day was already Long. NOW she was going to have to request Batman if she could come to Gotham, if yes, then she was going to have a chat with Poison Ivy.
She had a seed from the Feudal Era that was now extinct, that she was going to use as a bartering chip. She already had several of the extinct herbs in a plot on the Shrine grounds back in Tokyo; the herb seed she was going to barter with was not a poison, but it could be used in anything, from teas, to side-dishes, main-dishes and slaves for the body.
Batman viewed the outcome of the battle in Jump City, Robin and the others had been taken mostly unaware before being defeated; but Miko and Youkai... somehow those two, Miko in particular, had survived the vicious attack Terra had thrown at them. Batman leaned back in his chair, he'd seen the CC security monitor's that the team had placed in the stair-well, and hallways leading down into the basement. The night that the Titans had been missing was when Terra lured Beast Boy away and then in the after-math, infiltrated the tower and went into Miko's rooms.
The week that all the Titans went to ground, Terra had cased the T-Tower, looking for access to the basement, she'd been unable to access anything past the first floor of the building and had left aggravated, speaking to someone on the other side of a communicator built into her awful suit. She was clearly a child that was in over her head; of course the other Titans had gone through something similar, but their mistakes were minor- not large or glaring.
After Terra had left the tower, Batman went through everything again. There was evidence that Fate had been there, but then- Batman was looking for things out of the ordinary. Once he gleaned that Terra had not bugged the Tower, Batman attempted to access the Tower's lower levels, by hacking and by stealth. The problem that the Titans were working on was too big, but at least they had the appropriate countermeasures against spying. He too had been unable to access the basement of the Tower.
When all was said and done with, he might have the Titans aid with making the Cave as impenetrable, maybe.
When he go the call from Miko, his first thought was to snarl: "No Metas in My City!" But Miko was a martial artist, who happened to have spiritual powers; and if she was requesting this, then it had to be about their investigation into Vault Tower and the glowing green ocean. She must be wanting to talk to Ivy.
Batman decided to allow her to come to Gotham.
A/N: My Gosh but this took forever to get out! YAY! Chapter 17 is completed!
On to Chapter 18!