A/N: you all probably thought i was dead. honestly, i thought i was too =/ JUST KIDDING. anyways IM BACK and BETTER THAN EVAHHH. i want to finish this story so bad. its always been my favorite. and for those of you who read FWB, expect an update soon on that, too. LOVE YOUUU333

Disclaimer: Teen Titans? pffft. so not mine.

TT2

Sunday November 2, 2019

Clara couldn't quite seem to regain her breath. She sat, staring at the screen for a good thirty minutes before her thought process restarted. The face of Taku, bright and smiling, beamed down upon her. She just couldn't believe it.

Her boyfriend and her best friend (well, if Taku could be rightly classified as her best friend0 - twin brothers? Now this was just too crazy for her to believe. With all the crazy things that had happened to Clara, this was where she drew the line. This is where she flat out refused to believe.

She leaned forward, typing furiously into the keyboard. She made sure to erase the hard drive's memory so no one would know what had transpired in this room. She didn't think she could handle it if anyone found out, at least not right now. Hell, she could still barely process it. Imagine if anyone else found out that the two ends of the social pole were brothers. A villain and a superhero. Brothers. Now that's irony in itself.

But the reminder that Taku was a superhero only brought to mind one question - what is Jake's superpower? Does he even have one?

Then again, this brought another question to light - what was she to call him from now on? Is it still Jake, or would he rather be called Matthew?

Clara fell back into the seat, sighing. Then, in another instant, she was up out the door. She had no clue where to go from here. Contact with anybody would probably lead into her blurting out this secret she held. Of course, that meant the only person she could try was Jake. She didn't have to worry about being around him without blurting it out.

She dug her cell phone from the pocket of her sweatpants. With nimble fingers she typed in the number that had become so familiar to her.

"Jake?" she spoke quietly when his raspy voice answered. "I'm sorry, babe. Did I wake you up?"

"Yea, it's ok, though, I don't mind," he responded, and a bit of rustling could be heard in the background. "What's up, Clare?"

She paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I believe you. I-I-" she didn't want to admit she needed to use technology to believe her own boyfriend. "I just really do believe you. It's just a bit shocking, you know? It's a lot to process."

"I understand completely. I wasn't going to bring it up, but you asked, and…well, honestly, I can't lie to you, babe. I thought you had a right to know what's going on."

Clara walked silently through the darkened halls, her phone pressed to her ear. She was barely watching the space in front of her, focusing on all Jake had to say.

"Thank you," she responded quietly. "Look, I know it's not exactly in the cards right now, but I'd like to see you soon. Whenever you get the chance. Everything that's going on, it's just…it's bothering me. I can't describe the weird feeling I'm getting from all of this."

"Me too, Clare. And the worst part is that I'm not in on the newest plan of the HIVE. They're planning two kidnappings, of who I'm not so sure, but since I'm supposedly deathly ill, I don't know anything. It's killing me not knowing. I told my mom that I'm going back tonight. I need to be in on things," he murmured.

"TWO kidnappings?" Clara questioned, entering the elevator to get to the private quarters' floor. "You don't even know who?"

"Nuh-uh. And the best guess I could make is they're both Teen Titans." He then sighed. Clara could imagine him running a hand over his tired face. "Just be careful, ok? I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Of course, Jake."

He went silent for a moment, before sighing. "You know what? Screw it. I'm staying with you tonight."

"Is that really the best idea, babe? Your mother is going to be angry, don't you think?"

"I could care less what she says. I don't want to leave you alone tonight. I know you're very capable of taking care of yourself, but you know how I tend to worry. I don't want to take chances. I want you to stay safe."

Clara had to admit, it was sweet. She didn't care that he was insinuating she couldn't take care of herself. She was ecstatic that he truly cared for her.

"I'll be there around eight tonight, in your room, ok? I have to take care of some things first and get over to the HIVE headquarters. Hopefully they'll give me at least a vague hint of what's going on," he sighed, then another silence followed. "I'll see you later, Clare. Be safe, ok?"

"I will. I…I'll see you later," she stuttered, walking into her room as the words left her lips. "Be careful."

"I always am."

And the line went dead.

Clara fell back onto her king-sized bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. She breathed in through her mouth and out through her nose, trying to make sense of it all.

But no matter how hard she tried, nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

TT2

"Jenna? Jenna?!" Vic called as he awoke early that next morning. He expected to find her laying next to him in bed, but where she should be is not where she was. "Jenna?" he called once more, hoping she had not already left.

"Vic, I'm in the kitchen."

Her footsteps got closer and closer, until her thin frame appeared in the doorway. She seemed distressed, her features sunken into her face.

"Hey there," she greeted in a mellow tone, her eyes betraying her jubilant façade.

"What's wrong?" Vic asked immediately, flinging the covers off his half-naked form. "Is everything ok?"

Jenna smiled sadly.

"How is it that no matter what face I put on, you always know what I'm really feeling?" she asked, her eyes darting up to his face.

"That's what a good boyfriend is supposed to do. Now spill," he ordered, resting his hand over hers on the doorframe.

She sighed. "The HIVE. They're…they've got a plan. It's finally all making sense to me. I think they know…everything. Which means they know something that I did not until very recently."

Vic cocked his head to one side, staring intently at her. He was confused, and afraid, to say the least.

"Jen, what's going on?" he asked slowly.

"Come. I made coffee," she told him, leading him towards the kitchen where the smell of fresh-brewed coffee was permeating the air. "Sit. We have a lot to discuss."

Vic sat, and within moments Jenna had placed a cup of coffee before him. She took her own and sat directly across from him, sighing as she sat.

"Begin," he asked more than stated.

Jenna's eyes darted each way. "Well, it all started in a small town named Ridgefield…"

TT2

Clara had desperately hoped to get an hour or so nap in, but that just wouldn't do. Instead, as soon as her head hit the pillow, the alarm began blaring incessantly. She sighed, then sprung up from her bed and began on a flight towards the common room.

Once there, she was shocked by what she saw on the screen before her.

It was live footage of four HIVE members (which could be easily discerned by the badges on their chests) fighting what looked to be a pack of wolves. Dear God, is this what they've lowered themselves to? Animal cruelty?

Kyle turned from watching the monitor to see Kimi, Danny, and Clara all standing in the doorway. Within moments Sara and Taku had joined them as well.

"What's going on?"

"A bunch of HIVE members uptown near the Mayor's Office, nearly destroying the place over a pack of wolves. However strange it may be, we still have to keep this city safe. Clara, outfits, please?"

She whispered a simple mantra and all of them were fully clothed in uniform.

"Titans, GO!"

They made it downtown in record time, thanks to Taku's maniacal driving. His high-speeds made it even faster than if they had flown. Now that's law-breaking at it's finest.

They came upon the wreckage sight; it was visible from a quarter of a mile away. A thin layer of smoke was surrounding the area, and the road was already showing a slight crack down the center as they neared the source of a loud crash they all experienced a moment prior. After fifteen seconds, another loud crash could be heard, and a small building on the right began to wobble dangerously.

They came upon a crazy sight; the four HIVE members taking arms against a pack of nine or so wolves. One was clearly the head of the pack, a large, black wolf with a fierce look in it's green eyes. There were several behind this leader, all varying shades of grey, brown, or red. There was even a small white one with ice-blue eyes.

The Titans clamored from the car, but Kyle was the first to act. He held out his arms to prevent them all from stepping forward into the fray.

"Hawk, what's going-?" Taku tried to ask, but he was interrupted by a rude hushing sound from Hawk's lips.

"Be quiet, everyone. Don't move."

Hawk was intently watching the scene before him, a standoff between the two fighting parties. Rubble and dust had settled, showing off the scene of carnage around them. It had not been a clean fight by any means. Buildings on either side were substantially destroyed, and the street was lined with cracks and potholes.

Sara grabbed Hawk's arm, her breath hitching in her throat.

"What's going on?" she whispered at a level most humans wouldn't hear.

"I'm not quite sure," he responded, his voice trailing off. "I'm waiting for them to make a move."

A loud growl could be heard in the deadly silence. A few onlookers were gathered on the sides of the streets, but most sane people had fled the area by now. No one moved. No one made a sound. No one dared.

The head of the pack, the large black wolf, scraped all fours against the pavement. It was this one who was growling, the Titans realized, as they saw its maw quiver dangerously.

"GET HER!" One of the HIVE members screamed, and all of a sudden, in a blur of black, they had made their move.

"Titans, ATTACK!" Hawk screamed. "Protect the wolves at all costs!"

Sara and Clara flew forward first, ready to take out the man who had given the order. Kimi was backing them up, ready to take on the three people behind them. Taku sprang forward to protect the wolves and move them out of the line of fire (hopefully they would be so willing). Danny went to one side of the street, ready to get the onlookers to safety. Kyle, tightening his gloves around his fingers, pulled out his bo-staff and wore a dangerous smirk.

"Time to kick some HIVE ass."

Three of the HIVE members went straight for the large black wolf at the front of the line. Sara, Kimi, and Kyle went hand to hand against them, while Clara easily took down the one hanging back. Kimi took charge of the man who seemed to be the leader, the one who announced the initial order. He was a good fighter, she had to give him that much, since he was throwing a few expert punches and roundhouses. Honestly, he was no match for her and her alien strength, since she managed to grab him by the torso and throw him with unimpeded strength into the pavement below. She heard a sickening crack and a few pained whimpers, and almost felt remorse. Almost.

Kyle and Sara soon made similar cases of their own sparring partners, having them each down on the ground and tied up within minutes. Kimi had to admit, they were really getting good at their jobs.

Taku stood in front of the pack of wolves. He could now clearly see that there were eleven; five gray, three brown, one red, one white, and one black. The leader was the biggest one, quite obviously a girl though you wouldn't know it by her size, and different, in a way. Her facial features and the way she held her body seemed so distinctly human; as if she didn't belong in this pack. Yet, she was their leader.

The female leader growled when first confronted by Taku, but then the growl promptly died in her throat. Her limbs froze on the pavement.

"It's ok. I'm here to help, girl," he murmured soothingly, hoping by some miracle she could understand him.

The wolf shook, then trotted forward and pressed her muzzle against Taku's stomach. He acknowledged this as a sign of acceptance.

She pulled back, her emerald eyes meeting his directly. Taku couldn't help but feel a sort of remorse for this wolf. He couldn't tell how or why, but he knew this wolf, and he knew what she'd been through. He was there for her.

"Come on. We need to get you and your pack out of here, before they can hurt you."

The wolf understood completely. As Taku began running in the opposite direction, the wolf barked at her pack, and began trotting after him. Every wolf followed.

Taku looked behind him to see the Titans were taking care of the situation rather well. He and the wolf ran side-by-side for a block and a half, until he came upon an empty alleyway in which they could hide. He led them in, towards a tall fence that made it into a dead-end.

"It would help if I could know what they want from you," Taku told the black wolf as they halted on the cement. "I mean, the HIVE fighting a pack of wolves isn't exactly normal in Jump City," he laughed feebly.

The wolf took a step back, away from Taku. He watched her, slightly intrigued, as she bowed her head and raised her two front paws.

Then, something astounding happened.

The wolf that had been a wolf a second and a half prior was now a human standing before him at an impressive height. He was stunned, to say the least, but not enough so he didn't notice the small details. Like this beautiful girl's shining onyx hair, or her shining emerald eyes. She had tanned skin and freckles over the bridge of her nose, and a very small, lanky body with small hands and slim shoulders. She looked like a very female version of someone, but he couldn't put a finger on who.

"Well hello," Taku started, his voice shaking slightly. "That was…well, that was something."

"I am sorry. Did I startle you?" her voice was light and airy, yet her English sounded as if she wasn't sure of what she was saying. "I am not meaning to. I merely wish to show you…me."

One of the wolves, a large reddish-brown one, came to her side and rubbed against her hip. She reached out a tanned hand and ran it over the wolf's fur.

"What… what are you?" Was the only question Taku could think of.

"I am a shape shifter. I live with wolves, as a wolf. I am one of them." Another wolf, a dark grey one, took her other side. "I am their leader. They treat me as so."

"Wow," Taku breathed, falling back against the brick wall surrounding the alleyway. "This is kind-of a lot to take in." He paused, thinking of other questions he could ask her. "Who are you? Do you have a name? And why was the HIVE after you?"

"I have many names. The wolves, they call me Makasa. It takes years to understand the language of wolves, but it roughly means 'human wolf'," she explained, then as a side note, "give me moment."

She turned to her pack of wolves, who was still standing there, vigilant. She began barking, then growled a bit, then gave a slow, soft howl. The wolves howled in return.

"What did you tell them?" Taku asked.

"I tell them to stand down," she responded. "Look."

Taku peered over her shoulder to see all the wolves fall to their paws and lay their heads in the arms. A few were cuddled together, and in doing so they looked very much like a family.

"You have very good control over them," Taku noted.

"I am leader."

"Do they know that you're not truly one of them? They understand that you're primarily human?" Taku continued to question, watching her reaction to see if he had pressed too far.

"I am wolf. I know the language, I know the customs, better than I know that of humans. I am wolf most of my life. I live in the wild, with family, roaming as true wolves do," she explained. "I know little of life before wolves. Brothers, screaming. Fire. Pain. Snow. " She sighed. "I have painful memories."

"I'm sorry," Taku spoke softly. "I know what it's like to have a life plagued by tragedy."

They sat sheathed in silence, until Taku finally remembered his previous question.

"Do you know why the HIVE was after you?"

"They know things of me. They know who I am. I am with family, and then they capture me. My pack break me out of scary room, and we fight. Now I am here. I do not know why," she explained sadly.

Taku realized that this girl must've spent a lot of time as a wolf; she kept confusing her present and past tense verbs. He'd be shocked if she even knew the past tense at all. This could make for a very confusing conversation. He'd have to introduce her to the wonderful word of verb tenses later.

"They say something of "brothers, get the brothers". But, you must understand, my brothers are dead. My brothers die long, long time ago," she continued, putting her lovely face into her small hands. "They cannot possibly get my brothers. It pains me. I has not seen brothers in a long time."

"Makasa, right?" Taku asked.

She looked up, her wide green eyes shining with tears. "Yes, yes. Makasa."

"Who are you, then?"

"I am nobody important," she lashed, a snarl tearing across her features. "My human side, it die with my brothers. I am only wolf. I am only wolf."

She fell to her knees, her sobs the only noise ripping through the silence in the alleyway. Taku fell to his knees next to her, an arm around her in an instant. She didn't shy away, as he thought she might. Instead, she welcomed the human contact. It had probably been a long time since she'd felt human compassion like this.

"Taku. Taku?" His communicator buzzed. "Where are you?"

He deftly pulled it out and responded with: "the alleyway on Swainson Street. You come to me. I have a situation."

"People…no…bad!" Makasa moaned between sobs. "I do not like people."

"We are here to help, Makasa. We are the Teen Titans. We are good people, unlike those who tried to capture you," Taku told her, lifting her to her feet. The wolves came sniffing around and being at eye level with them just gave him the creeps.

"There are good people?" she asked, like a child finding out she was about to get ice cream. "Not all people are evil and cruel?"

Taku smirked. "I could see why you would think that, with Jake Jinks running around, but no," he joked, though it was lost on her. "We're good people. I promise. We can take care of you and protect you."

"But, my family…" she trailed off, looking back to the pack of wolves who looked upon her with such admiration.

"Will they be ok without you, for at least a few days, so we can make sure you're safe?" Taku asked gently, hoping that would fly. He'd never had to deal with a shape-shifter before, and knew too well he could fuck up any second and say something wrong.

"I see. Give me moment."

Makasa, the beautiful young girl, morphed back into the fierce black wolf right before Taku's eyes. She approached her back and began talking in low growls, grunts, and barks. Danny, Hawk, Sara, Moonfire, and Clara came rushing around the bend, into the dark alleyway as she was doing so.

"I see our wolves are safe," Hawk noted.

"Well, for now, at least," Taku sighed. "Look, Hawk, there's something you need to see."

Makasa had turned around and was now eyeing the new five teenagers warily. Taku smiled gently and motioned her over.

"It's ok, Makasa. Come here. These are the nice people I told you about."

She took close to Taku's side and morphed, instantly clutching his arm when she was fully changed.

"Shut the fuck up," Sara breathed, her confused and astonished face frozen in stone as she watched the young girl before her.

"Well, that's new, isn't it?" Danny managed to say, watching her every movement as well. "Oh dear lord, that's…well that's something."

The other three were just too astonished to speak.

"A shape-shifter? That's not green?" Moonfire finally managed to spit out. "Wow, I thought Beast Boy was just a freak coincidence but…oh, wow, a real-life werewolf!" she squealed. "That is too cool!"

"What's your name, sweetie?" Kyle asked gently.

"You may call me Makasa," she told them, her voice soft and unsure. "I am…not werewolf. I am shape-shifter."

The other five recognized her broken English as well.

"How long have you been a wolf?" Clara asked. "Your English, it's not too great."

"I rarely am human. I stay wolf, I stay with pack. I am the leader," she informed them.

"Come on, it's getting dark out. Let's get her back to the tower and we can question her there," Hawk suggested. "Kim, can you carry her?" He then turned to Makasa after getting a confident nod. "Is it alright if Kimi here, Moonfire, whatever you want to call her, flies you back to our home?"

Makasa looked rather apprehensive of Moonfire's outstretched hand, but after Taku telling her it was quite safe, wrapped it in her own.

"Oh, whoa," Moonfire breathed. "Strong grip you've got there."

The girl blushed but said nothing as Moonfire lifted her in the air, back towards the safety of Titans Tower.

TT2