A/N: THE VERY LAST PART OF THIS PAGE MAY NOT BE SUITABLE OR COMFORTABE TO THE MORE YOUNGER READERS.
We're getting down to the wire! Song is One and Only by Adele, but I don't think I used it as well as I hoped to.
The sound of the gong was the appropriate sound when Raven's heart dropped.
One… Beast Boy counted, feeling time was excruciatingly slow. But eleven seconds, he could do it. Could he?
Eleven seconds is too long to kiss a person, Terra thought. When she was younger, she was giving either her father or her brother a long peck, or vice versa. This was close to raw emotions. She felt Gar's tentative lips press against hers and, like a button, Terra let her mouth open. Both of them thought the other was trying to play it for some reason, so they didn't let go.
"What's going on?" Raven was in awe. Why was Beast Boy kissing Terra? She knew everyone in the Castle was, but she sensed that it was more than just a pretend pash.
Five… The seconds counted, slowly, slowly. Raven couldn't stand the silence anymore, watching the kiss go on.
"What is going on?" she asked again to no one in particular, and turned and flew away.
Everyone with Raven watched her leave, looking more heartbroken than usual. Swaying her cloak as she turned sent a whiff of her sent directly to Beast Boy, who quickly picked it up. His instinctive reaction was to look up and find her, but Terra pulled him down toward her, keeping him close.
What is she doing? he wondered, tensing exponentially.
"Raven," Red X was the first to go after her. Before doing so, he gave Robin a word of advice.
"Crash the party," he told Robin and the others.
A smile formes on Cyborg's face, chanting softly, "Booyah."
Red X ran after Raven. "Raven, wait!"
Raven stopped, landed, and slumped her arms.
"It's not real," explained Red X in more of his real self Maximus's tone. "The Promenade Post-Pinnacle requires Partners to kiss for eleven seconds. If Beast Boy cuts the connection, and my parents realize it, it will greatly offend them and Beast Boy will surely turn more attention to him and consequently to us."
Raven turned, revealing a sullen face. "It might have been initially intended to be an act, but my empathic powers don't mislead me. I felt what I didn't want them to feel from them. They could still have feelings for each other."
Red X had to calm her down, because if he had learnt anything about her during their time together, it wa that keeping her emotions in check is vital. He gave her a reassuing hug.
Raven continued, "And if we're going to intervene anyway, why would Beast Boy keep having us undercover? Losing him was the worst idea ever."
"No, it was not," replied Red X. He took off his mask, revealing her dashing Markovian face. "It was the most courageous. I believe you have nothing to worry about Beast Boy. But, rather, Terra."
Raven knew that Red X was trying to calm her down, and so she did. "What about her?"
"Her mind has been influenced by my parents," he explained. "Vile thinking was how we got out of the underground. Out of the laboratory. They must have done something to her mind, and we have to rescue her."
Raven seemed to understand now. She nodded in agreement and gratefulness.
"Beast Boy's a good man for you, Rave," Red X added. "The good man for you. Let's go rescue my sister."
You've been on my mind
I grow fonder every day,
Lose myself in time
Just thinking of your face
Eleven seconds.
"Hold it right there!"
As everyone parted lips, they heard the defiant command coming from the door. Beast Boy and Terra recognized it as Robin. Beast Boy scanned the entrance, and saw familiar faces, not all he necessarily wished to see.
"Y-you all made it," he stuttered. Not all of them were there, though. Raven wasn't. But he had sensed her. Did she go away? Did she see him kiss Terra? The thought made his heart sink.
"We meet again, Markov," said Slade. The crowd of townspeople burst into little bits of whispers, unsure of what was going on and what was going to happen.
Mr Markov stood up from his throne, situated on the upper floor, and took a step forward. "You shall leave this Castle at once!"
"We won't be leaving," Slade replied sternly.
Mrs Markov then remarked, "You know, Mr Wilson, if there is one thing that never changed about you, it is your detrimental determination."
Slade smirked. "After finding out what you have been up to, I don't find myself so detrimental anymore."
He had a hand below his chin, pinching the bottom of his mask. Then, unpredictably, he pulled it off, revealing his face for the first time.
Everyone silenced and watched him with awe. He was like any other Markovian; like Terra, Jericho, Maximus and all the other Markovians. Robin, Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy were quite shocked to see Slade so bare. The foyer's whispers turned into murmurs as recognition finally dawned on the townspeople that the person standing before them was in fact the Slade Wilson that had disappeared after his son, who they then realized was with him, had allegedly disappeared. Everyone became more confused and curious.
Slade continued, "I believe there is a... very special visitor ready to expose the truth. Most importantly, on the Tarbal Avenue Curse."
And behind Slade came forth Maximus, and the murmurs got louder and louder. Maximus, son of the King and the Queen, who had been accused of being behind the Tarbal Avenue Curse, and had disappeared shortly after that accusation, known by many as a traitor, had returned right before their eyes.
"He has returned. Will he take us?" whispered a scared Markovian.
"What is he going to do to us?" whispered another.
"He has a really scary costume on."
Beast Boy squinted his eyes to get a better look at Maximus's costume upon hearing that third comment. It was black, with a silver belt, but it was the red x across his chest that made him realize who that was. Red X.
His memory clocked back to when he found out about Slade and Jericho's relationship. Red X is a Markovian, like them. He had a relationship with someone, like they had with each other. He is the son of the Royalty. Terra is the daughter.
"Red X is Terra's brother."
God only knows
Why it's taken me so long
To let my doubts go
You're the only one that I want
"Alright everyone, listen to me!" Maximus shouted.
"Why should we?" shouted back a townsman. "You tried to take away our people!"
Maximus shook his head. "That wasn't me! I never did any of that! I left Markovia, I wasn't here the whole time! I don't know how to prove that to you, but it is the truth!"
"Do not listen to his blasphemy!" shouted Mr Markov.
"Well then who caused the Tarbal Avenue Curse?" asked another townsman.
Maximus took a deep breath, about to get it all out in the open. He pointed sharply at the upper floor, and every Markovian in the room gasped.
"Our parents?" Terra whispered. Then, more loudly, she screamed, "What are you trying to pull, Maximus?! I have longed to see you for a long time, ever since I ran away, and then you expect to magically show up in our front door and act as if nothing's changed!"
"Nothing has not changed, Terra," Maximus said. "I searched and searched for you. Believe me when I say this, I was always looking for your best shot. Our parents," he glared at them, "are the ones kidnapping people. They bring them deep underground where they conduct experiments on them, to alter their genes and give them inhuman abilities! That is what happened to Jericho Wilson. That is what happened to you."
"Don't believe him Terra! He is lying!" screamed their mother. "Filthy liar is trying to manipulate us against one another! We shall not fall for it! GUARDS!"
Terra felt a jarring pain in her head. The familiar sensation she had had recently. Beast Boy noticed the pained expression.
"Terra?"
"Terra! Don't listen to them! They are manipulating you! They have been!" Maximus shouted, trying to get in her head.
Terra groaned.
"Stop it, Maximus!" Mr Markov shouted. "Stop it this instance! You are harming my daughter and threatening the town!"
"No! You stop it! This is what you have done to me, the reason I had to escape to Azarath and live this nightmare of a life!" Phobia scowled.
"Who are you, commoner?" retorted Mrs Markov.
"We will not let you continue your evil doings!" Maximus continued.
"GUARDS!"
"STOP!" Terra screamed, her voice echoing around the foyer and making her father's call for the guards inaudible. Her eyes glowed bright yellow, and the floor cracked, wreaking havoc in the Promenade event.
I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before
Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all,
You never know if you never try
To forgive your past and simply be mine
Beast Boy, who was the nearest to Terra, felt a violent shake beneath him. He tensed when he heard a resounding crack below.
"Terra, stop!"
Terra's face clearly showed that she was struggling with something. Looking at her reminded Beast Boy of Terra fighting Slade's control over her.
Terra felt her mind going haywire. It hurt. All she wanted at that moment was for it to stop, but it was merciless. What was going on in her head? Make it stop, she first begged. But it didn't. It was persistent and painful. She couldn't hold it in. Her pain had to exit somewhere. She let lose of whatever stability she had on her powers to ease the pain. It didn't help much.
She let out a scream that sent an avalanche-like echo around the room. Beast Boy was the first to feel the impact.
The floor beneath him split, leaving a dangerous pit. Beast Boy was first sent skyward from the strong vibration, he collided with the rumbling ceiling, disorienting him, and when he plummeted down he was directly heading towards the underground.
"Beast Boy!" shouted Starfire.
Beast Boy was centimetres away from the abyss when a sphere of telekinesis concealed him and stopped him from falling. The sphere disappeared and reappeared beside his team.
"Everyone, evacuate!"
Even without Robin's advice, the townspeople were already scrambling to get out of the bound-to-collapse Castle.
"GUARDS!" Mrs Markov called out again. "GUARDS! Seize the intruders!"
This time, the guards heard their Queen and ran into the foyer. They first got a hold of Phobia.
"Oh no, you're not taking me again!" she warned. "Prepare to receive your new worst nightmares - me!
The four guards surrounding her did not fully understand what she meant, but Phobia then uttered a chant that sounded between a sigh and a growl, and then before they knew it the guards were running around frantically as if they were being chased by their biggest fears.
A battle inevitably ensued afterwards.
I dare you to let me be
Your one and only
Promise I'm worthy
To hold in your arms
The loudspeaker broke, cutting off the current song playing as it crashed onto the floor.
"Titans, go!"
"Don't have to tell me twice, Robin," said Red X, in a way that seened it honored him to fend off his parents' loyal subjects.
Red X launched a large red x that pressed two guards against the whole, unallowing them to move. Brian was practically invulnerable against his opponents, transforming from one material to the other. Jericho managed to confuse the guards by taking over one of the guards and using him to fight the others. Robin's martial arts skills gave him an easy win over the subordinates. Cyborg was ready for payback for when the guards tranquilized him. Starfire and Raven worked together and combined their powers. Beast Boy, now in on the fray, was turning from dinosaur to lion to bull.
Raven spotted a couple of children who had attended the Promenade. They looked lost in the commotion.
"Careful, kids," she guided them, trying to avoid the falling ceiling and guardsalong the way.
The Markovs were making their way, cautiously, down the stairs almost in debris, to Terra. Terra stopped scowling, but was creepily still with her eyes glowing blank yellow.
"It's true, isn't it?" her voice echoed, though her expression showed no emotion.
"My dear, what are you talking about?"
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Everyone was sent a meter away from her as the impact of her geomancing power hit.
"Okay, okay, Tara," Mr Markov got closer to her. "But we want you to be a part of it. That's why we gave you the milk. It adjusts your thinking, to give you our mindset so that we can be closer. Isn't that wish for?"
"Not like this," responded Terra. "Because of you, my mind is unstable. Because of you, I have powers. Because of you, I have unstable powers."
Beast Boy saw the Markov parents trying to take Terra.
"Terra, no!"
Terra heard Beast Boy call out. Terra. Tara. Terra. Tara. She had two names, two identities. Too many thoughts.
"NO!" she screamed, and set a shockwave of jagged rocks everywhere.
"Titans, duck!" yelled Beast Boy. Everyone that was focused on fighting the guards narrowly missed the spikes. Terra's parents were protected by the throne sofa.
"Agh!"
As Terra's powers died down again, everyone turned to see who had made that distinctive cry. Almost all of the guards were down for the count.
Then, they heard a couple of fearful wailing children. The Titans gathered around the children, and Raven's bleeding body and wincing face. A spike had got her on her stomach when she was protecting the children and failed to notice that one spike quickly enough.