A/N: Oh my GOD! It's been like three months! What is wrong with me? I'm so sorry. It's just I've been very busy with school and sports and my social life (actually I really don't have one so that was a lie) but I just haven't found any time and hate using my computer because it's so slow and I can never upload a document without it screwing up. Anyways, enjoy, and the next few chapters will be up all throughout this coming week. Have fun!

Disclaimer: Yea, I wish they were mine.

TT2

Sunday October 18, 2019

The next morning, Clara woke up bright and early, stretching, enjoying the sunlight coming in her window. She stood, walked to her vanity, and looked in the mirror. She was finally happy with what she saw, loose blonde curls that fell to her chest. She looked much like Sara, except Clara's cheekbones were a little bit more defined.

She finally looked human again, not like some half-demon witch. Although she disapproved of the stereotypical blonde supermodel image, she had to admit the blonde hair worked with her skin complexion.

She walked out into the hallway, still in her pajamas. Sara came out and joined her, a smile on her face as she saw her twin...who finally looked like she was her twin.

"You look good," Sara commented offhandedly.

"For some reason, I feel good," Clara told her.

Clara ran a hand through her hair as her sister and she separated paths. Clara was going to see Jake, who was currently being watched by Danny. Knowing Danny, though, he had left since he couldn't care less about Jake.

Clara entered the room to see Danny had fallen asleep in an arm chair and Jake was wide awake. He slowly looked up and smiled like Clara had not seen him smile before. "Hey there," he began, his eyes shining. "You look different. I like it."

"I thought you would."

Clara took a seat next to his bed.

"Are you feeling any better? You took it pretty hard last night. I figured you'd be asleep well into the day," she told him, patting his hand, then realizing he was looking at the photo album she left in the infirmary the other night.

"I'm fine. I'm great," he told her.

"Oh. Ok."

"Look, I've got to get going. I'm sure Jenna's worried about me," he told her. "And I'm sure I'll have to lay low for a while. I might not see you until the ball." He sat up. "In case you don't, I'll be wearing a black suit, a silver shirt, a green tie, and a silver mask. You should be able to notice me in that."

"I'm sure I will," Clara responded. "And please, try and see me sometime before that. I know you're busy but..."

"Yea, busy fighting off you guys so I can stay alive."

Jake climbed out of the bed. He gave Clara a short kiss, then smoothing down the clothes that someone had probably put on him after they tore off his burnt uniform.

"I'll see you later, Jake."

He smiled, turned and disappeared before her eyes.

TT2

Thursday October 22, 2019

"Clara, you have to admit, he looks a lot like Taku. And Sean. GOD maybe they were triplets or something." Of course Sara was kidding, but she had no idea just how intelligent she was. "But come ON!"

"Sara, let it go. He's just...Jake. He's not Sean, he's not Taku's long-lost brother. He's just a misguided boy that has no idea what he wants in life," Clara finished profoundly as they walked into the living room a few days later.

Kyle was sitting on the couch, battling Danny in some stupid videogame.

"I feel bad for him. A recruit for the HIVE. I mean, there's only one way out. It's gotta be rough for him."

"It is. It's rough trying to make this work, trying to watch out for him. I'm scared," Clara confessed, grabbing a juice from the fridge. "I wish he could be a normal kid."

Sara shrugged, looking at her sister.

"Clara, you're so sweet. Caring for that boy and all. It's wonderful the way you guys have each other's backs," her counterpart commented. "It seems like you really like him...love him," Sara tried, watching her sister for a reaction.

"Yea, I guess," Clara sighed.

The two sisters took their seats on the couch, watching the fierce battle raging before them.

"Danny, you're going to lose," Sara predicted rather confidently.

"Thanks, Sare, love you too."

Kimi entered the room, a joyful bounce in her step. She floated over the couch and landed next to Danny, reclining into the cushion. She watched the game with half-interest for a few minutes, before looking at Danny.

"Danny, you're going to lose."

"Kimi!?" Danny exclaimed. "Of course I'm going to lose now that I know you THINK I'm going to lose."

"Oh Danny, don't worry. That's what I like about you. You're not a loser like Kyle so you don't spend hours on end playing this game. That's the only reason you're going to lose," Kimi theorized.

"Aw, Kim. You're so sweet," he cooed, and whilst still playing leaned over to give her a sideways kiss. He didn't bother taking his eyes off the screen.

"So, Clare, whatever happened to Jake?" Kimi asked.

No one seemed to notice when he slipped out that morning. Clara had told them that he was feeling better, and they accepted this. There had not been an attack from him since. Everyone was suspecting it though, and that's what made Clara nervous.

TT2

"Jenna!"

Victor cried desperately to the woman he now knew and cared for.

"Please don't do it."

"Vic, I have to. Would you rather I die?"

"I'd rather neither. Jenna..." he trailed off. "Please don't do it."

She pulled on her black gloves, one sleek patent leather glove per pale, delicate hand.

"Victor, I like you. You know I do. And you know how hard it is for me to express my feelings so blatantly. I would do anything for you, but this is the one thing I can't do. I can't stop. I can't fight. I have to be subordinate and like it."

"You never did like taking orders."

"And I never will."

She gave him a sweet kiss before pulling on her glossy mask.

"Promise me you'll stop one day."

"I will. Soon. Just not now," came her unrecognizable voice, scratchy yet honest. "I have to get Jake to safety first. I have to protect him."

"He's safe now, isn't he?" Victor asked.

"For now. I can't keep him there permanently. Matt is close to being found out. The HIVE knows he's not dead."

Jenna walked over to the window, eight stories up. She threw it open and pulled herself up to the ledge. Her body suddenly felt very heavy against the soft November breeze. She didn't look back as she jumped.

TT2

"Titans, GO!"

The Titans had gotten the call soon after Kyle pwned Danny at Turbo Racers Seven. They were soon on their way towards a laboratory in the downtown area. Kimi was yelling into her communicator as she was flying, the wind whipping loudly past her.

"Dad, Dad...no...DAD! NOW! We need your help! There's seven of them! And no doubt the HIVE sent them because Black Baron is there!" She conveniently left out that Black Baron was currently Clara's beau and Jenna's son. "Mom will be fine for a few minutes without you!"

Kimi closed her communicator and caught up to her team, who had sped ahead. "Titans, stand your ground. Don't give up. There's seven of them. We can do this," Kyle's voice came from below.

Kimi was silent as they pulled up to the supposed break-in spot, a well-known and well-accredited research center in the posh upper district. The three girls flying settled to the ground, and Taku stretched back to his normal height, next to Kimi. Hawk held his finger to his lips, nodding towards the door that was currently blasted open. Several loud noises could be heard inside, although HIVE agents were supposedly quieter than ninjas.

"Titans, follow me," he began, leading them with his hand.

They gently tip-toed into the laboratory, looking for any sign of life. A shadow moved in the corner and Kimi silently took off. Another shadow and Sara was gone. A rumble came and Kyle sprinted forward. A squeak came and Taku was twisting his body forward. One more noise and Danny was off like a rocket.

Clara was alone, watching for one more sign of life, maybe even one from Jake. She would be disappointed he was here, but she knew he had to, to save his own life. Clara gave a little lurch as another squeak erupted, but it was found to be only a mouse. Only a mouse.

In a flash Clara was on the ground, dazed. Something hard had struck her in the back of the head, silently and swiftly. She pushed herself up and rolled, just narrowly missing another dangerous blow to the head.

She looked up into the cold, steely mask of Black Baron and felt her lips tremble. He tried to strike again, but she had rolled once more, snapping up with a spell on her lips. She hissed this potentially dangerous curse, and he was on the ground within seconds, bound together by rope.

"Black Baron," she spat.

"Clara," he hissed in return. "Spoiled little bitch."

It hurt, true, but she knew this was bound to happen one day. He was bound to turn against her, and she was bound to realize he had only used her. She watched dumbly as he wriggled out of the rope, jumping up and at the same time pulling out a weapon that looked mighty dangerous.

"Take this!"

He jolted forward but Clara was fast and pulled up a shield, bouncing on her toes.

"Give me everything you've got! I can take it!" she shouted at him. "Unlike you, I'm not a wuss! I say things and I mean them and I mean it when I say you're going down!"

She pulled down her shield and unleashed everything she had. All the pent up anger, frustration, all the depression, every emotion she had ever felt came out in one blow. Black Baron was knocked off his feet and sent into a pile of boxes a few feet backwards. He was no doubt unconscious. Clara walked over to him, wiping her hands together, an evil smirk on her face.

"That's what you get for fucking with Clara Walters."

She squatted next to him, looking him up and down. One of his limbs was twisted in a funny position and she began to feel remorse. She began to feel as if maybe she had done the wrong thing. She reached for his mask and pulled it off of his face, just to reveal someone who was most certainly NOT Jake Jinks.

"What the-?" she began to herself and whipped around, feeling as if someone would be there to explain.

But no one was. She was alone, listening to the sounds of fighting going on around her.

"Clara!" Someone called desperately. "MAN DOWN!"

She recognized the voice as Taku's, and he seemed in pain. She was up in seconds.

"CLARA!" Came the shrill shriek of her sister. "TAKU NEEDS HELP!"

Clara sat up and flew forward. She followed the sounds of Taku's pained whimpers, and soon found him lying on the ground under a large mass of gears and machinery. He looked as pale as ever, and as if he were about to pass out.

"Taku, what's wrong?!"

He made a little gurgling sound, and Clara deduced that the machinery crushed him flat. He couldn't breathe. She tried to push it over, but to no avail, and merely settled for trying to remembering her lifting spell

"Oh God, hold on Taku," she told him, trying to think while also trying to push it off of him.

She backed up. "Magne Reta Bu Toya!"

It lifted just a foot. His body began to re-shape. He took in deep gulps of air as Clara strained to keep it up off of him. He realized she was standing there, straining, and weakly rolled over. Clara set it back down with a deafening crash.

"Taku!" she exclaimed. "Are you ok?"

"...fine," he gasped. "I need...air."

Clara lifted his neck and tilted his head back, trying to open the airway (something she learned from a freshman CPR class). He took in deep, gulping breaths.

"Please don't die on me," she started. "It'll look very bad for me if you die in my arms."

He let out a weak chuckle, but his eyes soon widened.

"Clar...a!" he rasped.

Clara turned around just in time to face a figure clothed in all black. The figure aimed toward Taku, but Clara knocked her down. This knocked the wind out of her, leaving Clara sputtering. She tried to get up, but the figure had straddled her and was now aiming for her face.

Clara murmured a spell under her breath and a black shield blew this figure off of her, sending it several feet away. It immediately got up and tried to attack Taku more, but Clara was able to ward him or her off with another spell.

"Try again!" Clara demanded. "I'm not letting you hurt him!"

The figure did a spin kick and hit Clara in the gut, sending her flying backwards into a bunch of boxes. She looked up and saw the figure menacingly prowling her way. Two feet away Clara flinched, not thinking fast enough, waiting for attack.

But it never came. She watched as Taku wrapped himself two, three, four, five times around it, binding their limbs.

"Clara!" he rasped. "Now!"

Taku unraveled as Clara powered up one of her spells, hitting the black mass just as Taku pulled away. The person spun out of control into a lab table filled with toxic chemicals. Smoke arose around their body, and within seconds the body had disappeared into thin air. Clara stood, brushing herself off with the help of Taku, whose breathing was coming in short, raspy gasps.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice scratchy like an old man's.

"I don't know, Taku. I just don't know."

TT2