Author's Note: I don't much like this chapter. It seems so... ick. But I'm pretty late already, updating, and I feel bad about the time it would take to make it acceptable. Maybe another couple weeks.
A Matter of Pride: Chapter twenty-four; Talk
With the Titans:
"So, how are we going to find Terra?" Beast Boy asked Robin, hovering nearby the masked leader and glancing continually at the large computer in the common room.
"We're not," Robin replied, leaning around Beast Boy to see his game of the video game with the annoyingly long name that was mentioned a few chapters ago.
"WHAT?!" Beast Boy considered swearing at him, but then remembered that he was the star of a children's cartoon and, as such, could not swear lest he traumatize the youngsters. He moved to block Robin's view again. "Why aren't we?!"
"Because it would be impossible," replied Robin, edging to the side.
"Says the guy who tries to track the dead villain!"
"Look, Beast Boy," snapped Robin, pausing the game and setting the controller aside. "That villain - "
"Her name's Rhea."
"How do you know that?"
"Some detective you are! Terra yelled her name."
Robin scowled. "Whatever. Rhea dragged Terra off, we don't know where. They could have gone in any direction, changed direction at any time, gone by any means, we have no idea."
"Says the guy who tries to track the dead villain," Beast Boy repeated. "It's gotta be easier to find two people! Especially when one of them has a Titans' communicator!"
"Get real, Beast Boy! Rhea is a villain! Don't you think she'd have taken the communicator?!"
"Not if she didn't know about it."
"Fine, we'll try it." Robin snapped. He stood and marched over to the computer. He tapped angrily at the keys and a number of blinking dots appeared on a world map. Robin tapped a few more keys, narrowing down the map to the United States. Five blinks were concentrated in California, a few in various other parts of the country... Two in New York, except one of them suddenly moved to Boston. That would be Kid Flash. Robin tapped a few more keys and the map narrowed to the midwest.
"Got her," Robin announced. "Somewhere between Champaign and Kankakee, Illinois."
"See? That was easy!"
"Or, at least," Robin continued, ignoring Beast Boy, "that's where her communicator is."
"Well, can we got check?"
"No. We can't leave the city unprotected."
"Can I go, then?"
Robin hesitated. And hesitated. And hesitated some more.
"I said," Beast Boy began, "Can - "
"I heard what you said! I'm thinking." Well, that was a first. "Fine, go. But if you're not back in a week, we're coming after you."
"I'm going now!" And with that, Beast Boy ran out of the tower, transformed into a hawk, and flew off.
---
Almost a week had passed since Terra's first experience with Repeto's powers, and every day she had had another bout with them. She had discovered, however, that Repeto was not as cruel as his powers suggested. It was subtle, and she seemed to be the only one paying attention enough to see it. Every time he had made her remember something - her parents' deaths, her siblings' deaths, the day that she had told Beast Boy about being Slade's apprentice, her own death - she would come back to her own mind and see tears in Repeto's emotionless eyes.
It was the middle of the night and Terra was afraid to sleep. She was tired, yes, but with the resurfacing of her worst memories, she was afraid that they would replay as nightmares. It was just as well that she was awake because that meant she was aware of Repeto approaching.
"Miss Terra," Repeto whispered. Terra felt a hand on her shoulder. She sat bolt upright, eyes wide but averted. Another thing she had figured out was that Repeto needed eye contact to use his powers. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything. Word of honor."
"I don't trust the word of anyone who works for Slade," Terra said. "Especially since I know that it means absolutely nothing."
"Here." Repeto took off the bracelet that Slade had fashioned and pressed a pebble into her hand. "Cross my heart and hope to die. Just don't tell."
Terra gaped at him. "You realize you've given me everything I need to kill you and get out of here, right?"
"I've been inside your mind. I trust you. Please don't go. I'll get in a lot of trouble. I just wanna talk."
"Huh?" Perhaps Terra's favorite part of herself was her ability to always be eloquent.
Repeto lowered his eyes. "When I use my powers, I see the memory that comes up. It's like it's my memory. You've been through a lot... I'm really sorry. I am."
Terra was stunned by this revelation. She shook her head and hissed quietly, "Why should I trust you? You're Slade's apprentice. You could probably kill me in three seconds."
"That's true. I could. But I've given you everything you need to kill me first, and escape." He pressed something else into her hand.
Terra looked down and recognized the yellow object in the faint light. "My communicator!" She had seen Rhea give it to Slade. If the master criminal had been messing with it, it was certainly broken or bugged. Terra didn't dare turn it on.
"Would you mind if we started over?"
She didn't trust him... much, but he had basically placed his life in her hands. She nodded mutely.
Repeto stuck out his hand. "My name is, ah, Repeto. Nice to meet you."
Terra shook his hand. "Terra. Nice to meet you."
"Will you trust me for a couple seconds, Miss Terra? Enough so that I can use my power?"
Everything in Terra screamed at her not to. But, suddenly, a thought hit her. What if Repeto sincerely didn't like his situation? What if, like she had, he wanted to make amends? Terra sighed and looked straight into his eyes. The result was instant. His eyes flashed and Terra experienced the now-familiar rush into her memories. She winced, wondering what horror awaited her now.
But it wasn't a horror. Terra found herself laughing and joking with the Titans, eating pizza, generally just hanging out. Even Raven was smiling and less cynical than usual. Terra remembered that day, only a week or so before her betrayal, as being quite possibly one of the happiest of her life. When Repeto stopped his powers, she was smiling. He was too.
"I don't really like doing bad memories," he admitted. "I have to live them, too, and it's not a lot of fun to live people's nightmares." He shuddered and shook head and then looked at her seriously. "How good are your acting skills?"
"Huh?"
"How good are your acting skills?"
"Good enough." She waited for an explanation.
Repeto just smiled. Dawn was beginning to break over the cornfields. Repeto anxiously glanced around and snapped the bracelet back onto Terra's wrist. She handed him the communicator, but tucked the pebble into her pocket. Bidding her a hurried goodbye, Repeto exitted the room. Terra flopped down and closed her eyes, but she couldn't sleep.