Wait a second! Is that a new chapter of Missing and Found? Has hell frozen over?
No, TitansRule just has a lot of time on her hands, now the semester's ending.
TitansRule is also speaking about herself in third person. She blames Facebook. She would also like to remind everyone that she doesn't own X-Men: Evolution or Teen Titans, and that dialogue in bold was taken directly from the episode 'Titans Together'. There's a lot of it, but she couldn't resist.
Chapter Five
"It's nice." Terra commented brightly. "I've been in cleaner places, but, you know, it's …"
"Yeah." Beast Boy agreed as she trailed off. "I never thought I'd have to use this place."
Terra sank onto the couch, pulling her communicator out again.
"You calling for help?" Beast Boy asked, his voice unreadable.
"No." Terra pushed the button and lifted it. "Shadowcat, do you read?"
There was a pause and a crackle and Kitty's voice floated through. "Terra? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, we're fine." Terra assured her. "We're at an emergency bunker. I think we're somewhere near the Philippines, but I might be wrong." She glanced at Beast Boy, who just shrugged. "BB doesn't know either."
"And is he alright?"
Terra nudged Beast Boy, who cleared his throat. "Er, I'm fine, thank you, ma'am."
"Kitty." She corrected. "Or Shadowcat, if that's too weird. You need us, Terra?"
Terra looked at Beast Boy, who shrugged. "Not yet." She decided. "I'll call you if we need you."
"Alright, keep us posted, sweetheart."
"Will do." Terra turned the communicator off and tucked it away again. "So who's left?"
"Huh?"
Terra rolled her eyes. "Brotherhood of Evil. Titans. We're the only people I see; is there anyone else or are we pulling this one off on our own?"
"Heh." Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well …"
"On our own it is then." Terra sighed. "Great." She stiffened slightly, a shiver running down her spine. "We're not alone."
"That good or bad?" Beast Boy asked.
"I don't know." Terra admitted, standing up. "But there's …" She trailed off, seeing a young boy standing behind them, a plus sign on his white uniform. "Hi."
Beast Boy turned around as well. "Mas! Where's your brother?"
The boy began talking rapidly in Spanish.
"Mas, slow down!" Beast Boy told him. "I can't listen that fast. You speak Spanish?"
"A little." Terra frowned. "But I can't listen that fast either. Something about Cinderblock and Johnny Rancid and they took … Menos away."
"Mas and Menos are twins." Beast Boy explained. "They have super-speed, but only when they have contact with one another."
Terra winced sympathetically. "We'll find him."
"Somos los nicos que quedamos?" Mas asked.
"No, my friend." A female voice answered, before Terra could. "This Brain … He sent the wrong opponents to capture me. Pantha remains undefeated!"
The sound of a horn echoed through the room, announcing the arrival of Herald and Jericho, neither of whom seemed too encouraged to see the team that had been left.
Terra couldn't help sighing as well, as Herald and Jericho turned to hide out in Herald's dimension, and Pantha moved to leave as well, with Mas muttering something about finding his brother, when …
"STOP!" Beast Boy yelled.
Everyone froze, staring at him.
"Nobody's going anywhere!" He continued, slightly quieter, but no less intensely. "We have to stick together. I need all of you with me if we're going to stop the brain." He met Terra's eyes openly. "And we are going to stop him."
The portal behind Herald vanished and Terra felt her legs give out as she sank onto the couch. She had never seen Beast Boy act like this before, and his new determination was a welcome change from his usual constantly-joking demeanour.
"He has us on the run." Beast Boy stated, pacing up and down. "That means the Brain will never expect us to take the fight to him."
"Why should you be in charge?" Pantha asked, not really challenging his leadership, more testing the waters.
"I've been fighting these guys longer than any of you." Beast Boy answered darkly. "I know what we're up against. Look, this may not be the perfect team, but it's all we've got. We're the Teen Titans now. If we work together, we can accomplish anything."
His words were followed by another kind of silence, as his companions took in his words, wanting more than anything to believe them.
"So exactly what can you guys do?" Beast Boy asked curiously.
"My horn opens rifts into space." Herald answered.
"I am strong." Pantha added.
"Antes iba rapido, pero sin mi hermano …" Mas trailed off with a sad sigh.
"I can control and manipulate anything as long as it contains earth or rock of some kind." Terra said quietly – she knew Beast Boy was very aware of what she could do, but since he'd asked …
Everyone turned to look at Jericho, who smiled and pointed wordlessly to his eyes.
"Okay …" Beast Boy sighed. "This might be tougher than I thought. We know the Brotherhood base is in Paris, but we won't be able to just …" He trailed off.
An hour later, a Jericho-possessed Cinderblock was striding through the Brotherhood base, having smuggled in the others by pretending that he'd captured them. The other five were walking alongside him, all of them following Mas, who seemed to be following his nose.
"How do we know his brother's here?" Herald asked Beast Boy.
Mas turned on him, looking irritated. "Porque, Trumpet Boy, nuestros poderes nos da una conexión magnética. Lo mas cercanos que estaño lo mas fuerte es nuestro enlace." He stalked off, muttering, "Que, no sabes nada?"
Terra stifled a giggle as the others turned to her and Pantha for a translation.
"He said it was a twin thing." Pantha told them diplomatically.
It was close enough and Terra decided against adding that it had been a veiled insult, opting instead to continue down the passage.
"Estamos cerca!Por asé!" Mas told them.
Terra didn't bother translating that and neither did Pantha – the boys could tell from the smiles on their faces that it was good news.
Then Mas stopped suddenly, his face draining of colour. He closed his eyes for a second and, when he opened them again, they had filled with tears.
"Dude, what's wrong?" Beast Boy asked urgently.
"Menos …" Mas whispered.
Terra's eyes widened. Whatever was happening to the captured Titans had cut off the connection the twins had – were they even going to find them alive?
Mas took a few steps forward and turned to face them, shaking his head.
The trail had gone cold and they were lost in the depths of enemy territory.
"We have to keep moving." Beast Boy stated firmly, leading them down the passageway.
Terra's hand slid into her pocket and curled around the communicator. As they walked, she caught Beast Boy's eye, but he shook his head.
"Stop!" Pantha hissed suddenly, interrupting their silent conversation. "Someone is coming!"
Within seconds, Jericho/Cinderblock had scooped them all into his arms and they all faked unconsciousness as the footsteps drew nearer.
"At last the little punk will get it!" A French-accented voice was saying gleefully.
Terra didn't move, working through all the Titan villains in her head. Le Blanc, maybe. Unless another one's popped up in the last two years.
"Cinderblock!" Another voice shouted. "They're about to freeze Robin! Hurry or you'll miss it!"
Terra fought to contain her flinch, unsure of how much scrutiny was on them. Freeze him? That's what's happening to them? She felt Jericho/Cinderblock start to move, apparently following them down the hallway.
"By the way," the same voice said slightly breathlessly, "nice catch, sir."
Private Hive. Terra concluded.
"Thanks." Jericho/Cinderblock said.
Terra felt him stop abruptly, as the footsteps in front of them slowed to a halt as well.
"Since when have you been able to talk?" Private Hive asked suspiciously, before adding, "Sir?"
No signal was given, but the five simultaneously decided to stop the charade, leaping out of Cinderblock's arms as Jericho left his body and leapt straight into Private Hive's body.
"What is the meaning of this?" Le Blanc demanded.
"It is called an ambush." Pantha informed him as Cinderblock collapsed.
The Titans outnumbered the villains six to four and the fight was short, leaving Le Blanc, Private Hive, Mammoth and Adonis unconscious on the floor next to Cinderblock.
"Let's move!" Beast Boy ordered.
The sextet sprinted away towards the closed doors they'd been heading towards, bursting in with no shortage of dramatics.
"Alright, Brain!" Beast Boy shouted. "You're going …" he paused as a spotlight illuminated them "… down."
Mocking laughter filled the room and Terra peered into the shadows to see a crowd of people, most of whom she recognised from her time as a Titan.
"What's so funny?" Beast Boy asked heatedly.
"The six of you against all of them?"
The Titans spun around to see a curious group stood atop a raised platform: a brain in a jar, a gorilla, an elderly soldier and an exotic woman dressed in red – if Terra hadn't known about the Brotherhood of Evil, she would have taken them to be a travelling circus.
It was the woman who had spoken and she continued with a smirk: "Even I find that amusing."
"Tell me where our friends are." Beast Boy demanded.
"Little green one," the Brain said monotonously, "you always try so hard … and always fail so completely. This time will be no exception."
"Where are they?" Beast Boy shouted.
"Would you like to say hello?" The woman – Madam Rouge – asked snidely. She gestured to an adjacent wall and the teens spun around to see several shelves light up.
It looked like some grotesque trophy cabinet, except instead of cups the prizes were ice statues of the other Titans. Each had the same expression of frozen terror on their face as they tried to defy their fate.
"No …!" Beast Boy whispered.
Terra's search of the shelves was interrupted by Madam Rouge's mocking voice. "Aww, it seems you're too late."
Beast Boy turned to survey the assembled villains. "I think we can take 'em." He said calmly.
"I think you are correct." Pantha agreed as he transformed into a T-Rex behind them.
This fight lasted longer than the last, but it didn't end in their favour. Terra hit the ground heavily next to Beast Boy, a heavy weight on her throat. Concentrating on forcing oxygen into her lungs left her with no way of using her powers.
"Did you think your pathetic resistance could actually stop what I have created?" The Brain asked. "Once again, Beast Boy, you fail. Madame Rouge, add them to the collection."
She leapt down to the tiled floor in front of them and her arms extended to grab Beast Boy and pull him to her. "Any final words?"
Terra struggled to free herself. Not again. This is not happening again.
Beast Boy looked down at her feet and smirked. "Yeah. I wouldn't stand there if I were you." He turned into a fly and flew away, as a very familiar beam blasted up through the floor, knocking Rouge off her feet.
As the billowing smoke cleared, Terra smirked herself as Cyborg and two companions came into view.
"Lesson number one!" Cyborg announced. "Never throw me down a hole unless you make sure I stay there!"
Another explosion behind them allowed Terra and the others to throw off their captors, spinning around to see Starfire hovering in front of the hole in the wall. "The lesson two," she continued. "We never give up!"
A black aura appeared on their other side and Raven floated out of it. "Lesson three: Your secret lair isn't very secret."
The green fly came to hover beside Terra and turned back into Beast Boy. "Titans! Together!"
As the last of the water washed across the chequered floor, taking with it the last of the soldiers, the Titans assembled to see that General Immortus, Mallah and Madam Rouge had joined the frozen villains, thanks to Kid Flash, Mas y Menos and Beast Boy, who emerged from behind them looking very smug.
"You know for someone so smart, bringing all these guys together was pretty stupid." Cyborg commented as Robin tossed the Brain across the room.
Beast Boy caught it easily and threw it into the path of the freeze-spray. "Dudes, check it out! Brain freeze!"
The group groaned collectively, several people shaking their heads at the truly awful pun, aside from Terra, who smirked. "How long have you been waiting to use that one?"
"About ten years." Beast Boy admitted.
The question drew people's attention and she barely contained a flinch as a shudder of realisation ran through her companions.
"Terra …?" Robin asked.
Realising that the main team had unfinished business here, the honorary Titans moved away to search the room for concealed weapons that might go off at any minute.
Terra didn't turn, keeping her gaze fixed on Beast Boy. He gave her a small smile and climbed down from the conveyer belt, coming to stand beside her. "So you're not gonna believe who turned up to help …" he began cheerfully.
It was always Beast Boy's reaction that Terra had been afraid of facing, but now she realised how wrong that fear had been.
Whether he had ever said it aloud or not, she knew Beast Boy cared about her – he'd be the most likely to believe her.
But the others still meant a lot to her; they had been the first people to truly accept her for who she was, and their opinions still meant a lot to her.
This was the real reason why she was afraid to face them all … the fear that they wouldn't believe that she had been possessed.
What she needed right now was support – someone who they would believe – someone who trusted her implicitly – someone who …
"Nicely done, guys. Quicker than I thought too."
At the familiar voice, Terra spun around, as did everyone else, to see a group of people standing in the hole Starfire had created.
Terra broke into a smile as Jean floated the team down to the tiled battleground, chancing a glance at Robin, who was stood in slack-jawed shock.
"See, Cyke, I told you they wouldn't need us." Jean said with a smile once they'd landed.
"Never doubted them, Red." Scott insisted, holding out a hand to Robin. "Well done."
Still open-mouthed, Robin shook his hand automatically.
Terra smiled, noticing that her sister was fidgeting and casting her anxious looks. "I'm fine."
"Thank God!" Jean swept her into a hug. "Honestly, when Kitty told us what had happened …"
"She nearly killed me." Kitty stated, rolling her eyes. "I think I'm the only one who's got any faith in you, Hails."
Terra pulled a face, but didn't argue with the nickname. Her mother was the only one to call her Hayley, but her siblings had fallen back on her childhood nickname, despite still using the name she'd lived by all her life.
"Are we missing something?" Cyborg asked, since Robin was still star-struck.
Terra turned back to face them, feeling Jean grip her hand comfortingly. "Erm, guys, these are the X-Men … you know that. But they're also my sister, my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law." She explained, indicating Jean, Scott and Kitty.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" A grumpy voice asked.
Terra's smile widened as she slipped from her sister's arms to Lance's. "And my brother." She added. "What are you doing here? You're not in X-Factor."
"No, but you're my baby sister which automatically gives me reason to be here." Lance pointed out, ruffling her hair. "Don't you have something to do, Cyclops?"
"Right." Scott nodded. "I owe you – all of you – an apology."
"An apology?" Robin repeated blankly.
"I should have contacted you the second Mesmero showed up in Jump City." Scott continued. "Then maybe all of this could have been avoided."
"Who is this Mesmero?" Starfire asked curiously.
"He was a very powerful telepath who released En-Sabah-Nur before the battle in 1998." Robin answered softly.
"Apocalypse." Raven translated, seeing Starfire look a little confused.
"He was in Jump City?" Robin asked, his mind catching up with him.
"You knew him as Slade." Scott said darkly. "He wasn't using his powers to start with. By the time he did …" He trailed off, glancing at Terra, who shuddered violently. "It was too late."
If Terra had been watching them, she would have seen the looks of horror and realisation that crossed the other Titans' faces. As it was, she was taking deep calming breaths, her eyes closed, as she tried to stop her powers from responding to her emotions.
Lance was still holding her, and felt her shudder. "Kitty …" He prompted quietly.
Kitty left Scott's side as he explained everything that had been happening, and hurried over to Terra, resting a hand on her back. "Hails? Terra, sweetheart, are you alright?" She looked up, noticing that Beast Boy was the only Titan not paying a bit of attention to Scott, his gaze fixed on Terra. "How was she earlier? Before the battle, I mean."
Beast Boy jumped, colouring slightly under her attention. "Erm … okay, I guess. Is she alright?"
"She's having a panic attack." Kitty said. "Probably fear about how you're going to take everything."
"Was having a panic attack." Lance corrected, shifting Terra in his arms. "She just passed out."
"Dammit." Kitty muttered. "Cyclops. Time to go."
Scott glanced over his shoulder. "Is she …?"
"Out like a light." Lance relinquished his hold so Jean could levitate her. "I think she chose controlling her powers over controlling her breath and …"
"Time to go." Scott agreed. He pulled out one of the Institute's cards and handed it to Robin. "We'll be in touch. X-Men, to the X-Jet."
"We need a new name for that thing." Lance commented. "That sounds kinda lame."
Kitty rolled her eyes, putting a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "Listen, something tells me she's going to need one of you there when she wakes up. Come with us?"
"If you think it'll help …" Beast Boy began unsurely.
"It will." Lance told him with certainty, already resigned to the fact that he could do nothing more to help his sister. "She needs you."
Beast Boy nodded. "I'm there."
AN: Next chapter's probably the last one, folks! Will Terra be alright? Will there be a nice fluffy happy ending? Will TitansRule get the chapter up some time in the next millennium? Will she stop posting all these stupid questions? And, possibly most importantly, will she ever stop speaking in the third person? Only time – and reviews – will tell.