32 Productions Presents…
A Teen Titan Fan Fiction The Teen Titans in…"Out With the Old, In with the New"
Chapter Three
The Battle
Cyborg rolled along the ground before smacking into a building with a groan. Fighting this thing was ridiculous. It could make its body solid then like powder at will. Not even Raven's magic could hold it for long. Robin's freezing discs worked to slow it, but not enough to stop it. Cyborg stood up and fired his sonic cannon, punching a hole in its leg. It toppled a moment before the hole closed again. Shade tried sucking it down into a giant vortex, but it pulled itself out, taking what it lost back from the earth.
Cyborg: Yo, Raven! Any ideas would be nice!
Starfire: How was this beast captured before?
Raven: I don't know. I never read that far.
Beast Boy: Dude…that is so something I would say.
Raven winced. He was right. Suddenly the creature shrieked as its limbs began to solidify. A figure riding a boulder with long blonde hair came into view.
Beast Boy: Terra?!
Tara: Nope. Tara. Close though. Terra's busy. Get a good look because this is the last time I EVER put this costume on.
Robin: This is our chance! Titans GO!
The Titans attacked the now solid arm, shattering it completely.
Starfire: Success!
The arm reformed out of other materials nearby.
Shade: …failure.
Robin: Te…er…Tara, you need to get more of it!
Tara strained, sweat trickling down her face.
Tara: I can't! It…it's too big! I barely know how to make my powers WORK, let alone mess with something this size! Terra will be here soon, we just need to hold it off!
Howling, the creature sprang two additional arms and grew horns on its head. They all looked at Raven.
Raven: …I don't know. Stop looking at me.
Robin: Next time you're guarding a demon, Raven…LOOK IT UP!
Raven: Right, right, I'm sorry. Azar…
Cyborg: Yo, Tara! Try and get its head! We may be able to blind it.
Tara snapped her fingers. That was a good idea. Why didn't she think of that? The head turned to solid stone. Then it grew a set of eyes on its chest.
Tara: …crap.
Annoyed with its attackers, the thing finally stopped taking the abuse and turned on them. Vines shot from its fingertips, wrapping around Starfire and Shade. Their arms pinned down, they couldn't summon the strength to get away and given the pressure, Shade couldn't concentrate on anything other then trying to protect his poor skeleton with a layer of shadows under his coat. The vines then started to wrap around the rest of them like a cocoon.
Shade: Oh, this figures…MMPH!
Robin threw two birdarangs, snipping the vines before they could be pulled into its body and suffocated. Tara tried to pulled it apart, managing to rip off an arm, but once again, it healed itself. Beast Boy turned into a bird and flew around it, trying to disorientate it. It worked for a while, making it dizzy. Finally the soil swatted at him, knocking him down. Things were looking bad.
Junkyard Lair
Terra groaned. She felt weird…different.
G-9: Terra? Terra, wake up.
Groaning, Terra's eyes fluttered open. …eyes? She had eyes again! She tried to sit up, but G-9 pushed her back down.
G-9: Ah, ah, ah. Settle down. We need to do some tests.
Terra: Tests be damned! My friends need me!
G-9: Well, I don't think you should go help them dressed as you are.
Terra looked down at herself and yelped. Yes, somehow fighting crime in her birthday suit sounded a bit outlandish. She decided to go along with the robot for now.
Terra: Alright, alright, make it quick!
G-9: Calm down. Okay, follow my finger with your eyes.
Sighing in annoyance, Terra followed the finger moved in front of her.
G-9: Good…good. Your eyes are fine.
Terra: Good enough to see you're wasting time! What do you care if I'm healthy or not?!
G-9: Because Gremlin is doing this next, that's why! Now shut up and do as I say! I won't risk his life because you're impatient!
That shut her up. After a series of test, Terra was handed some clothes.
G-9: Not your usual garb, I know, but it was the best we could do.
The clothing reminded her of Raven's outfit. Black and white single piece leotard. The sleeves went all the way up to her hands, allowing her fingers and thumb to stick out. The boots were more like Starfire's but of the same color as the rest, reaching up to her knees. She slipped it on.
Terra: …it's kind of…rough.
G-9: Protective stitching. It'll help absorb some impact just a tad. I guess Gremlin was feeling unusually nice.
Terra: I'm not complaining, I'm just making a statement…it's…rough.
Nodding, G-9 understood what she meant. She was commenting on the fact that she could feel the clothing. She was human at last. If only G-9 had brain waves, she too, could have a human body. Terra turned and ran for the exit.
Terra: Tell him I said thanks, no matter what happens. Even a minute as a human being makes up for all the days I spent as that statue.
Sighing, G-9 went off to inform her creator that Terra was a success. He could begin his own cloning. …still…she wondered if she should have mentioned to Terra that she was bald.
The Battle
Things looked grim. Tara was exhausted. Her head was pounding from using her powers so much. Shade was buried up to his neck as Beast Boy struggled to pull him out of the soil. Robin hung limply from a lamp post and Cyborg was downed as well, his body in a state of automatic repair, rerouting power and what not. Raven held her breath, dirt swirling all around her. Starfire was batted out of the sky by one of its tree fingers…yes, TREE fingers, not three fingers. TREE. It's not a typo. Suddenly the dirt around Raven dispersed and Shade was lifted out of the deep soil he was sinking into. Terra flew in on a rock.
Terra: Somebody call for a rescue?
Beast Boy: TERRA!
Tara: What…what…what kept you, Baldy?
Terra: …baldy?
She felt the top of her head. Damn it, she KNEW she felt a draft!
Terra: Son of a…okay, time to take my anger out on something and dirt boy is nominated. Tara, help me out here! I have an idea!
Tara: Go for it!
Together the two geomancers pulled the demon apart. It shrieked and tried to reform, but they held fast.
Tara: Now what?
Terra: This way!
Terra led her counterpart to the ocean. Smiling, Tara got the idea. They dumped the demon into the sea. It gurgled and splashed a bit before being pulled apart by the tide completely.
Terra: See, Tara? Was that so bad?
Tara: Hell yeah it was! My skull feels ready to split in half! Like I said, never again.
Terra: Fine…can I have my costume back now?
Tara: Got my clothes?
Terra: Uh…
Wow, she knew she forgot something.
Terra: …no?
Tara: Then screw that. You got spares at the tower, don't you? I'll see you later…
Pulling the goggles off her head, Tara handed them to Terra before leaving. Sighing, Terra put them around her neck before returning to her friends. Beast Boy turned into a dog and jumped on her, licking her face.
Terra: Gah! Gar, quit it! That…
She giggled. The others watched in a combination of amusement and amazement. It sounded like Terra…looked a lot like Terra…
Terra: That tickles!
Raven: So…going for the Sinead O'Connor look?
Pushing Beast Boy off gently, Terra gave Raven a look that suggested that she didn't find the comment as humorous as she herself had found it. She stood up and dusted herself off while idling commenting.
Terra: I dunno, Raven. What about you? Going for that Elizabeth Bathory look?
Wincing, Raven tried to play it off.
Raven: The Blood Countess. Very good. You must have spent hours coming up with that one.
Terra: Nowhere near as long as you've spent avoiding sunlight.
Raven: Oh, you are really starting to push me…
Shade grabbed her shoulder as Raven clenched her fists.
Shade: Shh…shh…shh…look, Terra, Raven's had a bad day. Wait until tomorrow, okay?
Terra: Yeah, sure.
They all started to head home. Raven turned to Shade.
Raven: I was just having an off day.
Shade: I know.
Raven: I could have insulted circles around her, you know that.
Shade: Shh…
Raven: I could…
Shade: Okay, that's it. Come by my room one hour from now.
Raven: …uh…okay…but if the lights are dim and you're playing cheesy music, don't be surprised if I toss you out the window.
Shade: …can I open the window first?
Raven shrugged.
Titan Tower: Terra's Room
Terra bit her lip as she looked herself over in her mirror. It was like it was a dream…and this time she could actually PINCH herself! Before her stone body was unpinchable! The only problem was…well. You know. She ran her finger along her bald head. There was a little stubble or something. Peach fuzz, I guess you'd call it. Good to know that SOMETHING was growing up there. Sighing, she realized this wasn't going to be easy. Her new body required real body maintenance…proper diet, exercise, medical check ups and all the other things she never needed before. Exercise would be easy enough, since Robin was such a train-your-team-until-they-drop-aholic. Diet…that was a different story. She liked to eat.
Terra: Wonder what Gar thinks of curvy girls?
There was a knock on the door. Sighing, Terra put the baseball cap she bought a while back…black with a white T on it…onto her head before she answered. Naturally it was Beast Boy.
Beast Boy: Hey Terra…uh…how you doing?
Terra: Hi, Gar….uh…fine I guess. It's a little weird…I'm not used to feeling hot or cold or anything.
Beast Boy: Um…anything I can do?
Terra: Phhoooo…uh…
Grinning nervously, Terra shrugged.
Terra: Help me pick out a wig to wear until my hair grows in?
Beast Boy: Actually, I already got you one.
Terra: …you did?
Beast Boy shoved a rainbow colored afro wig onto her head. Terra pulled it off, clenching her teeth.
Terra: Oh, now you're going to get it Logan. I may not weigh five hundred pounds anymore, but I'm betting I can still give a mean noogie.
She chased him around the hallway, finally tackling him and pinning him down. It was much harder then it used to be, but she held him down.
Terra: Any last words before I use my knuckles to assault your scalp?
Beast Boy: You smell pretty.
Terra: …yeah?
Beast Boy: Yeah.
Their faces got closer and closer. Terra could feel his hot breath on her face. …it smelled the same, unfortunately, but she had gotten past that a long while ago. Their lips were inches apart…
Terra: …but flattery won't save you.
Beast Boy cried out as she gave him a noogie.
Terra: Victory is mine!
Beast Boy: We'll see about that!
Terra squealed as Beast Boy tickled her ribs. Lucky guess! There was no way he could have known her ribs were her dreaded weakness! She tried to pull away, giggling uncontrollably.
Terra: Gar, stop it!
Beast Boy: Do you surrender?
Terra: N…never! Stop or I'll dump mud in your bed while you're still sleeping in it!
To her horror, he didn't stop. Instead, he transformed into a chimp and tickled her with his feet as well. Curse primates and their unusually hand-like feet!
Terra: I'll destroy you for this, Garfield! I swear it!
The tickling didn't cease. Finally Terra could take no more.
Terra: I give up! You win!
Beast Boy shifted back.
Beast Boy: Knew you'd see things my way.
Terra: Hey, I've never faced a tickling before! I had no defense against it.
Beast Boy: I totally beat you.
Terra stood up and walked away grumbling.
Terra: You coming with me to get a wig or not? I don't want to be walking around all…bald and stuff.
Beast Boy: Yeah, sure.
Shade's Room
Raven grunted, biting her lip. Oh, she never got tired of this. And why should she? Shade was so talented. She groaned and dangled her arms off his bed.
Raven: Watch the hands, Romeo. You're heading too far south.
Shade: Right, right, sorry. You know, technically this is exactly what I asked for?
Raven: Mmm…how's that?
Shade: I asked for a massage. I didn't say who'd be getting it.
Rolling her eyes, Raven continued to enjoy Shade's efforts to relieve the tension in her back. Where he learned to massage was beyond her, but she couldn't deny that it was helping. Frowning, she tried to remember what had upset her in the first place. Something about Sinead O'Connor. Oh well. Didn't matter now…in fact, very little mattered right now.
Raven: Azar…how'd you get so good?
Shade: An innate sense of the vital spots on the body combined with an understanding of your body language.
…well, that was an unusual answer…but what the hell did she care?
Junkyard Lair
Gremlin took a deep breath. His first deep breath without that accursed respirator. G-9 bit her finger as she looked at him. His perfect features…not so much as a zit on his face. …she hated it! Now how could she compete? So long as he knew that she was a machine, Gremlin would never accept her as a lover! Before, when he was hideous, he might have turned to her in desperation. Oh, and she'd make sure he would never regret it. Gremlin looked back at his mask. It was the only part of his costume he wasn't wearing. Frankly there was no reason to do so right now. He turned to G-9.
Gremlin: So…what do you think?
G-9: It's hard to tell without hair, sir.
Sighing, Gremlin touched his bald head.
Gremlin: Yes, that was an unforeseen side effect…but one that's thankfully temporary.
G-9: I'm am surprised, sir. You allowed Terra and Tara to leave without making any attempts to do…SOMETHING to them?
Gremlin: I saw no reason to. Terra and Tara are Slade's victims, not mine. No, I think I'll just concern myself with Robin for now.
G-9 raised an eyebrow.
G-9: Wasn't Robin Slade's too?
Gremlin: …well…I'm not going to let him have EVERYTHING.
G-9: So…uh…sir, perhaps we could celebrate your new freedom by going out tonight?
Tapping his chin, Gremlin thought it over. All G-9 could do is hope she wasn't looking as nervous as she felt. Suddenly he grinned.
Gremlin: Going out…that gives me an idea!
G-9: (disappointed) Oh? What's that, sir?
Gremlin: Oh, it is EVIL! It is an evil, evil plan that will hurt many people…that are good! I think it's great because it's so bad.
G-9: You've been watching that movie again, haven't you, sir?
Gremlin: …once or twice. The point is…
He grinned and G-9 realized he had done something to his teeth. They were all slightly pointed. She sighed. Guess that meant she was going to have to specially prepare his meals…with teeth like that, certain foods were going to be a pain to chew.
Gremlin: …it's going to be a surprise.
THE END
