"Beast Boy," Terra called, edging away from the snarling animal. He advanced another step. Twice more. The growl continued, loud and low and livid. "Beast Boy, stop! A-aren't you even going to talk to me?"
Two more steps advancement.
"There's nothing left to say," spat Cyborg's voice from nearby. Terra turned, aware of the danger she was in now. She could see Cyborg's outline. Starfire materialized nearby, but not close enough that Terra saw her clearly.
"You attempted to annihilate us!"
"Did you think we wouldn't take it personally?" Raven had joined Starfire.
Robin completed the circle. "It's over, Terra!"
She was surrounded. Terra circled, glaring defiantly. She could kill them all, right now, giving them no chance to put up resistance. But she didn't. Power surged down her arms, through her hands, into the street below. A large chunk of it carried her away. Looking down, she could see the Titans emerge from the mist. She saw their faces, the anger each displayed.
Her powers had been in constant, though not copious, use over the last weak. They faltered. Terra dove dangerously close to the torn street. It would be safer to continue on foot. Abandoning the rock, Terra ran. She ran until her legs burned from the unaccustomed exercise and her breath was ragged in her lungs. Then, and only then, she ducked into an alley to rest.
"Where do you think you are going?" Slade whispered, his voice soft and dangerous.
"I - I don't know! Anywhere! They would have killed me. I had to get - "
"No! I will not tolerate failure! Do not run, apprentice. You will stay. You will fight. You will win! Or I will kill you myself."
"Yes, master."
Terra poked her head out of the alley. The Titans had already found her, evidenced by Cyborg charging toward her. Dangerous or not, Terra had to use her powers. She tore off both of the bracelets that restrained the full extent of her powers and threw them away. Cyborg's fist found its mark on the space between her collarbones. Terra, as per usual, was sent flying backwards. She landed on her feet and immediately drew her powers into play.
Two huge chunks of asphalt and rock, each weighing at least a ton, flew at the robotic man. He dodged one and Raven caught the other. The Titan hurled it back. Terra leaped out of its way, calling a part that splintered off to carry her. Starfire was waiting above and dove at her. Terra threw herself into the open air with a cry of surprise. Another, similar chunk of rock caught her.
Robin was present, as well, and it was his weapon that caught her and pulled her to the ground again. Terra retaliated with twenty small rocks hurtling to the Titans' leader at lethal speed. One of Starfire's starbolts caught her in the back, then, and they kept coming even as Terra turned to defend herself.
Cyborg used Terra's distraction to knock her off her feet with his canon. Terra cried out in pain as she landed hard again. A nearby bus was suddenly dropping toward her. Terra knew she would be crushed if she didn't act... But what could she do? She struggled desperately to remember Slade's training. She could do this. Slade had taught her everything she needed to know, including how to manipulate her element down to its very molecules.
The earth swallowed Terra. It squeezed together to allow her to tunnel through it, letting her reappear behind Raven. But she didn't attack. She had to get away. The earth lifted her, enabled her to fly away before Raven knew that she was alive.
A giant bird - no, a pterodactyl - swooped toward her. Beast Boy.
As much as she tried, as much as she wanted it, she could not remain numb in his presence. She tried. She really did. But she couldn't do it. Terra turned sharply and flew as fast as she could. Away from the Titans. Away from Beast Boy. Seeking the numbness that she knew would not return.
"Slade!" Terra cried in desperation. "Help! I can't do this alone!"
"Dear child," Slade replied smoothly, instantly, "you are never alone." He accessed her powers and the street crumbled, revealing Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload. Terra neither knew nor cared what happened next. Her whole body ached from being thrown around so much, and from the unaccustomed load of her unrestrained powers. She had to get away. There was only one place she could go, as much as she dreaded it. Back to Slade.
Her footsteps echoed eerily in the passageway five minutes later. She was panting when she stopped before Slade.
"I made it," she gasped. "I'm alive. I can't believe they almost beat me!"
Too late, she realized the homicidal glitter in Slade's eye. He was advancing slowly and deliberately. "That was nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you."
He delivered a swift kick to her largely unprotected stomach. Terra gasped, clutching her middle and stumbling backwards. Slade was not going to go easy on her. His open hand lashed across her cheek so hard that her neck was instantly hot from whiplash and stars spun in her vision. He continued mercilessly for minutes, hours on end, eventually picking her up by he hair and throwing her across the room. Terra lay still, whimpering quietly. The bandages that bridged the gaps between metal plates had been ripped loose. Most of them were hanging limply from her arms and legs.
"You failed me, apprentice," Slade snarled. "I ordered you to eliminate the Titans. You did not. I commanded you to fight! You ran."
Terra struggled to her feet. "You can't treat me like this!"
"Can't I?" He kicked her squarely in the ribs. Terra lost her footing and slammed hard into the rough metal wall behind her. She yelled and collapsed again. "Who else would have you, my dear? You've done horrible, unforgivable, things. Where can you possibly go?"
Pacificsville flashed across Terra's mind. She wasn't about to voice the name of her little town, though! Oh, no. "Anywhere but here!" Terra said, pulling the last strains of strength from the deepest reaches of her being. The rocks themselves lent her fortitude. She could stand firm. Terra put both hands to the plate metal on her chest and pulled with all her might. Slade laughed.
"The suit has integrated itself into your neural system. Into your very skin. It's part of you... and so am I."
"No!" Terra cried, pulling harder. The metal didn't budge.
"You chose this," Slade continued. "It's far too late to back out."
"It's not to late to leave!" Terra protested. She turned and made to do just that.
"I'm afraid you no longer have any choice in the matter." Her suit buzzed and hummed and Terra fell to her knees. The pain was worse than she could ever remember it: when she was four, and her powers first appeared, that had hurt. But that seemed like no more than a pinprick now. The agony of Slade's first experiments seemed like a simple bump to her funny bone, uncomfortable but more annoying than anything else. She was paralyzed, and yet trembling, numb, but not too numb to feel pain. Not too numb to be unaware. And that was exactly how Slade wanted it.
Slade beckoned. She had not the will, or the strength, or the ability to stand. But she stood. Standing made the pain that much worse. So did walking, but her feet moved anyway and she found herself approaching Slade. He was speaking, but Terra couldn't make out his words. Everything was a blur. She couldn't think, couldn't breath, didn't know how she was still conscious.
Slade had stopped speaking, had walked away, but still Terra was unable to move. Finally, with a gesture from her master, his control of her receded and she collapsed again. The buzzing and whirring stopped, as well, but she was on fire inside. She was burning from the inside out. It was torture. She sobbed hopelessly. Slade would kill her. He had said as much, time and again. But he wasn't going to let her die easily.