Author's Note: I got flamed! Yes! I'm so happy! Sorry, I can be weird sometimes. I don't mind flames. Anyway, there are maybe... Two chapters after this. Three at most. And I don't really like this chapter; battles aren't my strong point.

A Matter of Pride: Chapter twenty-seven; Fight

B-b-beep! B-b-beep!

The annoyingly loud alarm went off right in Beast Boy's ear. He groaned, as usual, fighting to go back to sleep, but his mind was awake enough to suddenly remember why he had set the alarm in the first place. Beast Boy sat bolt upright, turned off the alarm, and quickly glanced at the time. Exactly eight in the morning. Okay. He had time.

But how did he know that it wasn't just a dream? What if he traveled half a mile west and only found corn? It was a distinct possibility. There was a lot of corn here.

It was eight forty-five before Beast Boy stopped worrying and decided that, if there wasn't a farmhouse half a mile due west from here, he'd just keep looking until he found her. That made him anxious, but for different reasons. He was itching to be on his way. Beast Boy exited the hotel and flew anxiously in circles around it for ten minutes, allowing the internal compass that most birds have to calculate which way was west. Then he was on his way, his little birdie brain telling him exactly how far he'd flown.

Half a mile later, Beast Boy looked down and saw an abandoned farmhouse. Excited, he swooped down and peered in the window. Terra was there.

---Terra---

Even though he hadn't believed her, Repeto had agreed to cut the second wire from the left under the keyboard. Then Terra had tested out her powers by levitating the pebble Repeto had given her all the way up to the ceiling. Repeto had believed her then, saying that she had to be telling the truth about Keb in her dream because there was no way that could have been a coincidence.

That had been a couple hours ago. Now, she was faking mental torture and listening to Slade taunt her. Beast Boy would be here any minute. She just had to wait until he got here, and then she'd be able to get out of this place.

"Good girl, Terra," Keb's voice whispered out of the thin air. "Just a few more minutes..."

"Are you ready to give up yet, child? The offer is still open. But you're too stubborn to admit defeat. You'll keep going until Repeto kills you," Slade taunted in his usual monotone. Terra did nothing. She would wait for Beast Boy to get here before rising to Slade's bait.

"Don't tell me you're going to take that!" said Keb. "... Even if it's true."

"Where's Beast Boy?" Terra muttered.

"Outside."

"Okay, then." Terra gathered her legs under her and stood, brushing her hair out of her face. She glanced at Repeto and smiled.

"What's going on here?" Rhea snapped, confused.

Terra adjusted her clip so that she could see out of both eyes. Rhea screamed. Terra froze and looked around. She pinched herself, just to be sure that she was awake, and winced. Keb put a protective arm around her shoulders.

"I told you it was a bad idea, Rhea. You should have listened," he said. Now that he wasn't speaking solely to Terra, his voice echoed strangely. Rhea's eyes widened and she began to back away.

"You can't be here," she said, her voice trembling. "You went when Mom and Dad did."

Keb shook his head and pushed Terra forward. His arm went straight through her and they both shivered. "I hate that feeling!" she heard him mutter.

Terra stepped in front of Keb, facing Rhea.

"I'm sorry, Rhea," she said.

Rhea laughed. "What can you do? Have you forgotten? I have your powers and you're helpless!" She lifted her hand in the same gesture that Terra often used when invoking her powers. Nothing happened. Rhea looked confused, and then angry, and then desperate. Terra flicked her wrist at Rhea. Manacles formed from the dirt floor and pinned Rhea's arms to her sides, her feet to the floor. Rhea struggled, of course. Terra reached into her pocket and took out Repeto's pebble again. She flattened her palm, showing it to Rhea as it drifted lazily into the air. Rhea stared, as if transfixed. Then the pebble shot forward, striking Rhea hard between the eyes.

She collapsed. Just like that, Rhea was dead. Again.

Terra sucked in a deep breath, fighting the immediate wave of horror, and turned. Keb was staring at Rhea's body sadly.

"It was her own fault," he murmured, but Terra wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or to her. "If she could have let go of her pride... But she made her own choices." He turned his attention to his other sister and smiled. "I know it won't be easy for you, Terra. I'm sorry to have had to put that burden on you. Remember that both Beast Boy and Rep are there for you. I have to go. The next time you'll see me is the day that you die, but I'll be here with you. When you three beat Slade, I'll need to borrow Rep... just for a couple days.

"Now, go help Beast Boy and Rep fight Slade! And don't forget what I said about Rep's real name." He winked and faded slowly from sight. Terra wanted to cry. But she wouldn't not yet. She still had to fight. Beast Boy was on a rampage, trying to take Slade out, while Repeto was trying to stay out of the way. His powers weren't good in combat, and Terra knew he was awful at fighting.

Slade was busily fending off Beast Boy, who had pulled out all stops. The villain was pinned in a corner. Lucky for him, Tyrannosaurus jaws weren't made to cram into small corners. Beast Boy's teeth couldn't quite reach him, no matter what angle he turned his head at. Beast Boy could have gotten him pretty easily by changing into something else, but he had Slade immobile and that was more than he could usually say.

Terra had an idea.

Starting at his feet, Terra hardened the dirt floor into solid rock. She added to the rock, little by little, until Slade was almost totally encased in stone and panicking... in the calm, reserved, Slade sort of way. Beast Boy realized what she was doing and pulled away. Slade said nothing as Terra finished the project, grimly. Soon the villain was covered completely.

Terra forced a huge surge of her power into the statue. She could feel Slade become a stone, himself, fusing with the casing until there was no difference. Terra dropped her hands.

She was vaguely aware of Beast Boy saying her name, but Terra didn't acknowledge him. She turned and walked over to Rhea's body.

When she was eight, Terra hadn't gotten a chance to mourn her brother and sister. Keb clearly didn't want her to mourn him, but this was the second time Rhea had died at her hand and Terra wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. She knelt by her sister, struggling to maintain composure. It broke suddenly and Terra cried.