Chapter 6

The city was dead silent as she walked it; the only sounds heard were the march of metal behind her, the robots falling in metallic step with each other. Terra sighed and looked around at the dead buildings. This was her legacy, no, their legacy. She and Slade were going to take over the world, and it all started with the fall of Jump City. But she couldn't help thinking about the Titans. They were alive, and Terra knew it. She had just sent them back to their little hidey hole, wounded and their pride broken. Terra knew that she would have to face them again, she knew it. Slade thought them dead, and she would be beaten for it when they resurfaced, but she couldn't bring herself to kill them.

As much as they had betrayed her, they had been her friends, and she had memories of them that she wouldn't trade for the world. Terra looked up at the darken skies she had once stared at for hours, while she was on the road, and thought back to her days before the Titans, before the acceptance. Her powers had done her no good when she tried to settle down. As soon as she made relationships with people, she would ruin it. But now she had power over them. They wouldn't control her, no, she controlled them.

A shadow in the corner of her eye broke her train of thought, and Terra looked around at the grey tamed jungle that surrounded her. There was nothing there. She must have imagined it. But that coming over the closer towards her, as she walked down the streets, that fog... That wasn't natural. She frowned and looked behind her. It was slowly enclosing her behind as well. She readied her battle stance, knowing that something was up.

"Slade, there's something going on. I don't like the look of this fog." Terra said down her communicator

"Then neutralise the source, apprentice." Slade said coldly back. She nodded, more to herself then the feed he was getting of her, and looked around, feeling the concrete beneath her and reading to rip it from the ground.

The fog was growing thick and soon Terra was engulfed in it, only a small circle remained around her, untouched. Her eyes darted as shadows began to move back and forth, in different directions. She counted five of them, quick as anything and trying to get her off of her balance.

Smash

Terra was knocked on her back by familiar blue beam which threw her into the fog. The five shadows dances around her, but she soon was throwing boulder after boulder into the fog, trying to smash whatever was in her way. The shadows slowed as the boulders went through them, soon standing in a straight line. Terra realised that this wasn't her friends, this was something else. Someone new.

Terra narrowly avoided an assault from a lamppost laced with black magic as she flipped onto a nearby piece of concrete she brought up from the ground. But the barrage of star-bolts didn't miss her, and she gasped in pain, as she was slammed into the wall of a nearby building. Her hand went to her back, and she felt a large bruise start to form. Terra winced as she touched it, and got back up, ready to fight again. She blocked the bow-staff coming at her, and counted it with a swift throw of a boulder that Robin avoided. Terra looked again and saw that the all the black shadows were gone, all but one. It simply floated in the air, and waited. She threw a boulder at it, and for a split second she thought it would hit it, but he simply disappeared, and reappeared a moment later.

She growled in frustration, wanting this fog to be gone, but not knowing how.

"Slade, do something! Send the Slade bots over here, and get them to help me fight!" Terra pleaded as she threw another rock at an oncoming emerald tiger. It simply turned into a snake, and dropped at her feet, poising to strike. She kicked it aside, and blocked another attack from a bow-staff.

"You let them live, you let them do this. This is your fate." Slade said with no emotion. Terra growled in frustration as she blocked and parried, flinging rocks at anything that moved. The fog was slowly beginning to fade, and she saw the Titans as they began to co-ordinate their attacks. Her eyes glowed bright yellow as she flung waves of boulders at her assailants, but soon she began to run out of energy. She had to get out of here, lose the battle, but win the war. She would be nothing to Slade if she did, but she would rather be beaten then dead. Terra lifted the chunk of rock beneath her and rose high above the remaining fog.

She watched as the Titans began to reorganise themselves with her new position, and then at the fog again. The lone shadow was still there, still floating, and still watching her. Then suddenly, the fog was gone, and she was what the shadow was. It was the boy she had seen before, Phantom. He looked at her, his face creased with sadness, and shook his head. He disappeared. Terra hesitated, wondering why he hadn't attacked. He just watched her. Her laps in concentration let one of Starfire's starbolts hit her on the arm, narrowly avoiding it hitting her chest. With a last grunt as she floated a platform under her, she sped off, trying to get as much distance between her and her old team as she could.

.~.~.~.~.

Danny looked at the figure slowly fading into the background while he floated a few inches off the ground, on the battleground. He looked into her eyes, and saw something on them. He'd seen it before, he realised, but he didn't know where.

"That's not your friend." Danny told him slowly, staring at the figure on the horizon "She's been changed, yeah, but she's not gone." Danny looked back to Robin as he glided over to the teens; all were a little worn out from the fight.

"Like hell she has; she's gone Danny. We tried throwing her a life-line, but she refused and almost killed us in the process. All of us." Robin told her. The memory of herself almost drowning came to Raven's mind, and she fought the instinct to blow something up.

"She's been changed by Slade, Danny, but she's beyond saving." Raven told him. Danny shook his head, and thought about where he had seen the look on Terra's face again. Starfire decided to pitch in, while Danny was silent.

"Yes, our Terra has to be confused in the mind. Her mind has been washed." She said, floating next to Danny, and looking to Raven and Robin.

"No, Starfire, she hasn't been brainwashed. She's not a hero anymore and she's no longer a Titan. We need to think of her as a villain now, as bad as anyone we've fought before."

Danny's eyes went wide as he heard what Robin said. That had to be it.

"Robin that suit of hers, how long had she been wearing it for, while you were still team mates?" Danny asked realising what had happened to her.

"Probably since she came back to us, a week or two ago. Why?" Robin said, confused.

"She has. Terra's being controlled by that suit. She has to be. She's been brainwashed and been conditioned by Slade to do as he wants. We just need to break that conditioning." He said to them, they all looked dubious, except Beast Boy, who seemed interested.

"Don't be ridiculous, brainwashing? Slade manipulates, but he doesn't brainwash. He's too good for that." Robin said. Danny crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, because Villains are so predictable."

"Yeah? And how do you know she's been brainwashed? Have you ever brainwashed someone Danny? Are you like Terra, here to sabotage our team?" Robin said, getting defensive about not knowing his arch enemy. "Isn't it convenient that you turn up just when we need it, and don't even fight Terra when we first fight her? You wanted to 'size her up'. How do we not know that you've been paid off by Slade?"

Danny grew angry. "Yeah, I do know she's been brainwashed, because I've been brainwashed myself, dumbass. Try several times, actually." He said, moving closer to Robin, his eyes glowing slightly brighter.

"Really, so how can you tell that he's been messing around with her brain, and we couldn't? We know Terra, we know Slade." Robin said, firing off questions at Danny, their bodies slowly coiling getting ready attack one another, while the other Titans watch, worriedly. "We've been researching you thoroughly, but unlike all the other Titans, we couldn't find a single thing about you. Just some robbery reports about a spectre, in your home town. Explain that." Danny

"Because Villains are people, and people change when they know they're out matched. Why do you think Slade took on an apprentice so close to you, rather than the many other meta-humans out there? He's using her knowledge of you as a weakness. He knows you can't attack her fully. It's against your nature." He said, angry. "And what does it matter about my past. It's my past. I'm here now, and I want to take back this city as much as you do. I've got family here, somewhere."

"Well then, Mr. Know it all, what do you suggest? We just lie down and let Slade and Terra take over Jump City?"

"No. We take the fight to them. I've got a contact, someone that could help us track down Terra. Give me two hours, and we'll have her location."

"You've got an hour. And if you're not back, we'll take you down with Slade and Terra. And we'll expose your secret." Robin threatened. Danny huffed, and flew off without as second glance at the team behind him.

"Robin, do you think it's wise to threaten our friend Danny? He only wants to help us." Starfire said, quietly to Robin. He nodded, and turned to his team. They all seemed uncomfortable at the argument between the two teens.

"Yeah, Star, I do. He could be a spy from Slade, or worse; someone who could easily betray us to any of our enemies."

"I read his emotions while he was talking. He seemed to be telling the truth the whole time, or he could mask his emotions well." Raven commented in monotone.

"Yeah, dude. If he was right, we could get Terra back." Beast Boy said, defensively.

"Beast Boy, she's gone. Danny's wrong, or lying. She's changed, and nothing's going to bring her back." Robin said, sternly, yet quietly to Beast Boy.

"Yeah, but Robin-"Cyborg started.

"Are you all against me on this?" Robin said, annoyed at the lack of faith in his team. They looked away, not wanting to look him in the eye. Robin huffed, and stormed away. He looked at the time on his communicator. It was half past three. One hour, or Danny would be exposed.

.~.~.~.~.

Danny flew towards the ghost portal in their house. Larger than the old one, it could probably fit four Spectre Speeders boxed together, and it was twice as powerful. The portal itself was out of commission, or so Danny thought. The familiar green swirls seemed almost comforting as he neared. The Ghost Portal looked like it was brand new again, like the first time it had been activated. He neared, and walked through it, feeling the temperature drop to about forty Fahrenheit. The box that had been destroyed, again, seemed new. Someone had built it again. Danny shook his head; it had probably been his parents.

Danny flew through the familiar green and purple wasteland of the ghost zone, searching out for his contact. He had met him a few times on his travels, and he knew where he would usually haunt. He flew quickly through the maze of doors and homes of the various ghosts that inhabited this sector of the zone. He knew them to all be friendly, but some could turn nasty if they were disturbed, such as ghosts were. Soon, he flew to a part of the zone he knew well. He, Tucker and Sam had explored it a few times before they were split up. He stared at the vast ghostly green and black jungle, and tried to listen out to the sounds of the person he was looking for. He closed his eyes and let his ears take over. He heard various sounds; the parrot that Young Blood usually took care of roamed this place, searching for a way to escape his youthful master. Ghost tigers, hawks, and elephants also roamed; a whole zoo of deceased animals settled in this place, at each other's throats, a constant blood bath of ectoplasm. But Danny only needed one of these creatures.

He listened for a while, heard the crow of a bird, the buzz of a nest of hornets, and then the growl of wolf. Inhuman and loud, it seemed to echo through the various sounds and to Danny's ears. Danny grinned and looked at his watch; he had forty minutes left to persuade him. He flew, intangible, to where he thought he heard the sound of his friend, and found him to be in a cave. He entered, and put a hand to the wall of it, feeling the sliminess of the moss, and the water. It was almost like a human world cave had been pulled here. He turned visible, and grinned out to the darkness. Wulf was hiding, waiting for Danny to make his first move. It was a game of stealth that they played some times, and if he was going to get help from him, he'd have to play of it. He heard a call from the mouth of the cave behind him;

"Venu trovi min, amiko. Aŭ mi ĉasi vin unue. [Come and find me, friend. Or I shall hunt you first.]" Danny translated, and turned around. He managed to see the dark shape of something quickly disappear into the jungle, and he ran to catch up to it. This was going to be fun.

"Amiko, vi estos trovita, kaj vi ricevos ŝuldas al mi ŝuldo. [Friend, you will be found, and then you shall owe me a debt.]" Danny called out to the ghost, and slowly began to crouch to the floor. The rules were; no invisibility, no flying and no intangibility. It was just speed and stealth. The first to subdue the other, by a sneak attack, was the victor. Danny hid behind a tree and listened out of a rustling nearby. There was none. Wulf was waiting for him to take the first move. Danny moved silently through a nearby bush and looked at the trees. There was a high vantage point at the top of a branch, good enough to see any movement from.

Danny slowly crawled up to the trunk of the tree and climbed it, making little noise as he found small footholds that could keep his, almost, and weightless body up it. He looked to the ground, and saw a dark figure laying in the grass, a hulking figure that growled when they looked at each other. It wasn't Wulf. The giant form of a three meter lion was hunting him down. Danny scowled. This was a pointless fight. He used his inhuman strength to jump from tree to tree, searching for his opponent. He was making little more noise than he had hoped he would, but he knew that Wulf wouldn't be near. He knew the half human, half wolfs strategy. When Danny was in his sights, he would lie low and follow him till he stopped moving. He would edge closer to Danny and finally leap the distance between them and catch Danny on the back.

Danny had been bested by this tactic many times, but he knew that he wouldn't let that happen. Not this time. He moved from tree to tree, going faster and faster, making all the noise he could, to attract him. He looked behind him for a moment and saw the dark shape following almost a mile back. Wulf was making no chances to be caught. Danny scowled, and changed directions, trying to lose him once again. Going higher and higher till he was higher than most of the trees, he jumped in the direction of the highest tree he could see, and used a small amount of his flight to get him the final meters up the fragile top branch. He waited a while, and heard a soft shuffling movement, first going towards him, then away from him. Wulf was trying to find him. Danny grinned, and moved silently down the tree, hiding on the other side of the trunk as he moved down it, away from Wulf's vision.

He saw the giant hunk of grey fur in the corner of his eye, and turned his head towards him. Wulf was silently sniffing the ground and air, trying to sniff him out, his eyes closed and back towards him. It was now or never. With a tremendous amount of strength, he thrust himself towards Wulf, a small ecto-bast in hand, and fell straight on the beasts back. He put his hand slowly to the beasts face, and let it sit an inch from his face, before he snuffed it out, and laughed.

"Pensu pri la vento. Pensu pri la ĉieloj. Tie estas kie vi trovis min. [Think of the wind. Think of the skies. That's where you would have found me.]" Danny said, climbing from the beasts back, and extending a hand. The beast took it, and seemingly smiled at the Halfa.

"Vi flugis? Tio ne estas parto de la ludo. [You flew? That is not part of the game.]" Wulf said, as they flew and bounded back to the cave where Wulf lived.

"Mi ne flugis, mi simple saltis. Ĝi estas simpla eraro via malamiko akiri la alta grundo. [I did not fly, I simply jumped. It is a simple mistake to let your enemy get the higher ground.]" Danny replied, and flew transparently through the oncoming trees.

"Well done. Ĉi-foje vi estas la venkinto. Sed kial vi venis por defii min en ĉi tiu momento? [Well done. This time you are the victor. But why did you come to challenge me at this time?]"Wulf asked, as they got to the Cave

"Mi havis favoron demandi. Mi bezonas spuri iu. Iu, kiu povas fleksi la tero. Ili estas en danĝero. [I had a favour to ask. I need to track someone. Someone who can bend the earth. They are in danger.]" Danny said to him

"Jes. Kiel la venkinto, kaj mia amiko, mi helpos vin. Kion signifas ĉi tiu Tero-Bender odoron kiel? [Yes. As the victor, and my friend, I will help you. What does this Earth-bender smell like?]" Wulf asked, happy to help.

"Mi ne havas odoron vi povas spuri. Vi devas veni kun mi al la homa mondo. Devas ni spuri ŝi. [I do not have a smell you can track. You must come with me to the human world. There must we track her.]" Danny said, gesturing to the air in front of them. "Bonvolu, ni devas direkti al mia nova hejmo. Saltu Urbo. La Tero-Bender bezonas trovi tie. [Please, we must head to my new home. Jump City. The Earth-bender needs to be found there.]" Danny said to him. Wulf howled in agreement, and raised his two giant claws, and ripped a hole in the fabric of the zones.

There was a small group of people, all dressed in different uniforms. Danny looked at his watch. He had been fifty-five minutes. He smiled to himself. This was going to be good. "Post vi, amiko. Nepre kriegu laŭte ĉe tiuj homoj. Ili estas miaj amikoj. [After you, friend. Be sure to howl loudly at these people. They are my friends.]" Wulf looked at him with his teeth in a grin. If Danny hadn't known him, he would have looked terrifying.

Wulf let out the loudest, blood curtailing howl that Danny had ever heard him muster, and saw the looks of pure terror on all the Titan's faces as they turned to face the three meter giant ex-convict werewolf with a huge grin, and large claws suddenly appear behind them.

"Titans; meet Wulf."

.~.~.~.~.

AN: Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote anything for this story. I've had bits and pieces written for ages, but it's only really now (During the two hours a week that I get off) that I have time to write anything. I'm sorry for those who have waited patiently. But here it is; Chapter Six! I hope you all enjoyed it, so far, and I'm sure to write the next chapter as soon as I can (I promise no eight month wait this time!).

So I wonder how the Titan's will handle Wulf? It would be good to see the titans terrified of an ally for once. And I'm sure that Wulf is terrifying enough, without the things I'm going to make him do next chapter. But that's for another day (Hopefully soon).

Till next time,

Umbra-Luna :D

P.S. There is going to be some more Esperanto talk in the next Chapter, so if anyone wants me to write it in a different format, please say so. I just thought it would be easier to read like this. :P