Chapter Six: So Close

Disclaimer 1: I do not own teen titans or the teen titan's characters – though I do wish I did.

Disclaimer 2: I do though own Max Steeler. She is a character of my original thought and design. Steal and die.

The constant sound of clanking tools echoed through the underground tavern. A young teenage girl sat working on a titans communicator. Her face remained emotionless as she continued rewiring. She placed the tweezers she was working with on the table and placed the plastic cover on the communicator. She paused as her eyes searched for her screwdriver. She finally spotted it on another table, well out of arms reach.

Cautiously she glanced both to her right and left. She lifted her hand out in front of her and her eyes flashed blue. The screwdriver began to tremble as it slowly rose into the air and flew into her hand. She breathed a sigh of relief and screwed the cover into place. She picked up the communicator and held it in her hand. She could call if she wanted. If she so felt the urge. But they wouldn't listen. Nobody would. She thrust the communicator in the brown back pack beside her. It was two late for that. Next she reached for a small shoe box under the table. She placed it on the desk before her, wiping the dust off as she did. She removed the lid carefully and smiled as the contents were exposed.

It had been six months since the accident. Funny how she thought of it as an accident, but truly that's what it was. In her mind at least. The only title that took blame off her. If only she had said something. Done something. But it was too late for that as well. She removed the first item from the box. A long sleeve black shirt with a yellow T, circled in yellow. She smiled, placing it in the brown backpack. She returned her eyes to the box and removed a pair of blue goggles. These she placed around her neck, uncovering a small white envelope as she did.

She grabbed it and flipped it over in her hand. Max was all it read. Baffled she tore the envelope open, unfolding the paper within.

Dear Max,

I pray that when you read this letter it's not too late. I wanted to tell this to you the day we met, the moment you told me of your childhood. Forgive me for not being brave. For keeping it to myself all these months. When you mentioned that you were adopted I got a far off look in my eyes. Do you remember? That's the moment I realized something, something big. You see, eight months before my parents had me they had another child. Eight months Max! The difference between our ages. My parents knew that since they had powers their child would as well, so did the corporation. They had that child for the research corporation, but regretted it the moment they gave their baby girl away. That was you max. You and me, we're sisters. I can't imagine how you must be feeling as you read this letter, I cannot describe how I feel writing it. I feel this connection even now as I write this. And we are Max. We've always had this connection and we always will. Now matter what.

Your sister,

Terra

That was all she needed. She quickly dumped the rest of the contents into the brown backpack and slung it across her shoulder. She was leaving this dump. She stood, grabbed her disc and headed for the door.

"Where do you thing you're going?"

Max froze. She knew that voice. She turned only to find herself right. Slade.

"But Terra she…and you…you were…"

"Dead?" Slade finished, "Death cannot hold me."

Max stared blankly, unsure of what to say or do. She glanced at the door and then returned her gaze to Slade.

"I ran into the titans the other day. Robin was with them."

At first Max didn't know what Slade was talking about. Then it clicked. "Oh no," she said defiantly, "I activated it!"

"Then why was he with them?"

"He must of figured it out, before it was too late."

"Like Terra?"

More silence.

"You can't control someone who doesn't want to be."

"You designed the thing that could."

"I was wrong."

"So you failed yet again."

Max remained silent. How could she answer that? Slade struck her and she crumpled to the ground. Slowly she lifted her head to face him, as she did her soft grey eyes turned icy blue. Slade kicked her hard in the side. She slide across the floor.

"I will not tolerate failure any longer!"

Her breathing became heavy. She glanced to her right. Her disc lay only two feet away. She returned her focus to Slade. An icy glare.

"I don't have to take this anymore!" She quickly pushed herself up, grabbing her disc. She bolted for the door. Slade was like lightning, pulling out his rod he dealt her a sharp blow to the shoulder. She slid to her knees, sharp pain surging through her arm. He came at her again, but she lifted her disc, blocking his rod in the nick of time. Suddenly the rod melted within his hands. Max took his momentary lapse as her chance. She leapt on her disc and flew toward the door. Max grabbed a small object from her utility belt and threw it toward the keypad. Upon contact it made a small clicking sound and the door opened. Max exited, never looking back.

There were two exits in the hidden tunnel: on leading to Terra and Max's training base (the middle of nowhere) and one leading to the sewer which in return led to Jump City. Max now found herself in the sewer, flying above the putrid smelling sewage. She flew upward. As Max lifted her hand the metal cover lifted. She soared out and with a downward motion of her hand the lid was replaced. Max vanished into the night, settling atop a building to gather her thoughts. And now she sat, hugging her legs and gathering her thoughts. She sighed. She had no idea what to do. Why had she left. She had nowhere to go, nobody to call friend, and nothing but a brown backpack and metal disc to her name.

Max grabbed her metal disc, and jumping on top she drifted through the city. She slowed her pace, quite sure that she was well out of Slade's reach. A wave of relief seemed to wash over her as she realized what a breakthrough this was She had done it. She was finally free. Her victory though was soon short-lived. The titans appeared behind her.

"If you surrender now we'll go easy on you," a voice rang out from behind.

Max turned in confusion, "What?"

"You don't want to make us repeat ourselves, trust me," Raven said bitterly, her hands gaining a black glow.

"I haven't done anything wrong!" Max exclaimed. Unless they know my past, she thought, but even then I didn't know what I was doing was wrong. I haven't done anything out a wanting to do criminal acts.

By now all the titans were preparing to attack. Max did the first thing that came to mind. She ran (flew technically) in the opposite direction.

"Titans GO!" Robin commanded.

Raven picked up a car with her powers and hurled it a t Max. Max lifted her hands to stop it, but hesitated. Instead, she flew higher and dodged it. Beastboy race ahead of her in cheetah form and transformed into a T-Rex. She skidded to a stop, pulling out a small metal sphere from her utility belt. She threw it at him, eyes flashing blue. Metal coils shot out from the sphere, wrapping themselves around him. He tried to transform into other animals to slip free, but the bonds conformed with his changes. Raven stopped to help him.

Robin sped behind her, his motorcycle picking up speed. He shot out his grappling hook and watched as it hooked to a building further ahead. He leapt off his motorcycle, pulling his helmet off as he began running on the building's sides. He took out his rod and swung it at her. She grabbed the rod and used it to wing him in the other direction, her eyes remaining ice blue. Robin landed roughly on the pavement, rolling several times until hitting a lamp post.

Starfire turned livid. Her eyes glowed green and she blasted Max with her green bolts. One hit Max directly and sent her flying from her disc. She hit the ground with amazing force. A fatal impact. Her disc was flung well out of reach. Max stared at it for a mew moments, then standing she broke into a run. Her heart beat faster. She doubted she would make it out of this alive. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead and her breathing became heavy.

Cyborg's hand transformed into a blaster and he quickly took aim. The blast hit Max dead on, squarely and directly. She plummeted to the ground, skidding across the road. She felt weak and her vision blurred. Everything went black…

A very Merry Christmas to everybody. Hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'll get the next one to ya'll as soon as possible. Hang loose. Read and Review!