CHAPTER 23
Disclaimer!: I don't own teen titans, neither am I the writer of the song below. enjoy
It was cold. The sky a light pink tint mixing with the blue of the sky as the sun sets over the Horizon of jump city. The sound of a pic gliding gently of guitar strings. Darren was one to always neglect practicing his guitar playing. In truth it was his father who pushed him to learn how to play, and deep down inside he felt resentment at the thought. Not because he felt forced, but rather because his father didn't live long enough for him to hear the song he had been practicing since he got the guitar. He barely played he lowly sang songs into the wind as he strums the strings a couple times. To be honest he is self continues about his voice. Before he lacked so much emotion to sing, or at least that's what victor used to make fun of him about.' You neeeeeddd soullll!' he used to say with the grooviest voice as Mona popped her head through the door asking if Darren was kicking as cat. What did it matter now? They're gone, all of them.
What did it matter if he sang aloud, what if it sounded like death? He wanted to let it all out, he wanted to let them go. He mourned for the past 5 months now behind closed doors, not even the angel of Mercy could sooth his soul, God knows she tried. He held back for so long, and it was so tiresome. He looked down the tower and saw Terra doing the training exercises he instructed her to do. Poor Terra, she took that incident hard. Hasn't spoken to anyone but Beast boy about it. She occasionally suck out of the Tower to skip rocks down at the Shore with BB. Everyone has their coping mechanism. Raven in some occasion checks up on Wize. He doesn't meditate with her anymore. After all he regained his memories that night. She never could before feel Wize's emotions, he never let her. But this time he didn't even bother to hide it anymore, or rather he couldn't focus to keep her out. His powers seemed to be acting funny lately since that incident it something to do with that light, he just knew something happened to him, wheather the emotional scarring, or his powers acting out he knew that he would never be the same after what happen. Even Raven knew that as she tries to sneak up on him. Just as much as she was able to sense him, he could always sense when she is close by.
" I'm looking at you through the glass don't know how much time has passed…." Wize began softly as he strummed the cords of the guitar." Oh God, it feels like forever but no one ever tells you that forever feels like home Sitting all alone inside your head…" Raven stood still only listed as the sound travel forth from Darren." How do you feel? That is the question
But I forget, you don't expect an easy answer
When something like a soul becomes initialized
And folded up like paper dolls and little notes
You can't expect a bit of hope
And while you're outside looking in
Describing what you see
Remember what you're staring at is me" Darren then stood up looking up as if singing to the Heavens." 'Cause I'm looking at you through the glass
don't know how much time has passed
All I know is that it feels like forever
When no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
Sitting all alone inside your head
How much is real? So much to question
An epidemic of the mannequins
Contaminating everything
When thought came from the heart
It never did right from the start
Just listen to the noises
No more Tell The voices!
Before you tell yourself
It's just a different scene
Remember it's just different from what you've seen
I'm looking at you through the glass
Don't know how much time has passed
And all I know is that it feels like forever
When no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
Sitting all alone inside your head
'Cause I'm looking at you through the glass
Don't know how much time has passed
All I know is that it feels like forever
When no one ever tells you that forever feels like home
Sitting all alone inside your heeeeaddddd!" The voice intensifies from here on as he pushes down hard on the cords."
And it's the stars
The stars that shine for you
And it's the stars
The stars that lie to you
And it's the stars
The stars that shine for you
And it's the stars
The stars that lie to you!" He then closes his eyes as he stops playing." Do you normally show off when a girls watching?" Raven asked as approached him." Only for the cute ones? What about the pale purpled hair ones with bad attitudes?" She replied coyly." What's that? Did you just demand I serenade you with music?"
"Try it and you'll be wearing that guitar as a hat." She said coldly. He didn't reply he just stood there staring at her with a blank stare. She sighed bitterly, she's not the touchy feely type but every once in a while she would make an exception." How are you?" she asked awkwardly, and he replied just as awkwardly..." Fine."
"Fine? Wow you're lost for words that's amazing." Raven said with a smirk." What's amazing is how charming you're trying to be." He Retorted." Says Bon Jovi here, besides I wouldn't have to be 'charming' if you weren't trying to be a recluse lately I wouldn't have to keep checking up on you."
"Who asked you to? Im no one's chore." He said a little too bitterly, as he noticed Raven stiffen up. She furrowed her brow at him with a glare then turned to walk away." Rachel wait…" Darren, and hearing her name Raven stopped in her tracks. Wize rarely uses real names, especially hers. Needless to say she was caught off guard." That was unworthy of me. Im sorry." She turned again to look at him." You needed your space I get that, but how much longer are you going to keep with yourself. Its eating at you I know it, yet you refuse to let it out. Even Terra let it out." Raven spoke softly as she knew Darren was vulnerable right now." She has Beastboy,"
"And? So you need to someone to talk you rather you to them? Well here I am then, talking to you, but it feels like im talking to a wall." Raven approaches him to look up into his eyes." What do you want me to say Raven? They are all gone. I knew that long ago and I couldn't save them. In fact I killed them." He sighed bitterly fighting back tears." I let it out so many times already, I had my time for mourning, I have to move on my own."
"What about Terra?" Raven crossed her arms looking away." What about her? I taught her all she needs to control her power and then some. She has Beastboy, she has everything she needs."
"What about you?" Raven grabbed his arm as he was about to walk away." She doesn't need me anymore."
"No you IDIOT!" she added enfaces on the idiot part." How are you going to move on from this with nothing?" Darren stared at her for a moment before the Titan Alarm sounded. He looked into her eyes for a moment longer. Such a stare of persistence. That look always tormented him, it was stare of someone knowing that he was lying to himself.
A few hours later the titans are now dealing with Plasmus. A moment ago they were dealing with Cinderblock and Overload, it seemed they escape the maximum security prison, which bugged the hell out of Robin and Cyborg. Cyborg for helping create the prison and Robin because he was pretty sure they had help somehow. Of course he was giving them a hard time, but the team fought valiantly, especially Terra, which caught Wize of guard. Not because she still wasn't any good at their powers, but rather how differently she was controlling them. It wasn't the way he taught her to do it. It was rather more…ruthless." Wize look out!" Robin called out snapping Wize out of his thought. He ducked down dodging a slime shot from Plasmus." Whoa! Not this time! It didn't wash out of my hair for weeks." He looked up at Starfire and Raven then to his side Cyborg who armed his sonic cannon." NOW!" Robin called out throwing explosive disks to stun Plasmus which met their mark to his face. Cyborg, Raven, and Cyborg followed up and began blasting him to pin him down.
" Terra AIR TIGHT!" Wize called out Terra rushed over to Plasmus on a floating rock with her eyes glowing its usual golden hue when she powers up. She raised her hands as all the rocks and debris smashed into plasmus forming a boulder that compressed in on itself." Raven Finish him off!" Terra shouted aside and Raven met the challenge." Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" the boulder then burst with dark energy surrounding it, then out fell a half-naked man. Plasmus was knocked out cold while the team was covered in the Plasma debris." Well so much for keeping clean." Wize said bitterly as he scrubbed off the brown goo from the sleeves of his outfit." Pizza anyone?" Beastboy raised his hand. "PIZZA." they all said raising their hands. After alittle walk and fighting over what pizza they should order, the Titans finally just settle down and eat, that is until the last slice of pizza came up, but Cyborg had a clever way to settle who should have the last slice. Spinning the plate with the pizza on it the pizza pointed to Terra. Then some weirdness started. Terra was in a football outfit and cyborg was in sports interviewer outfit. Then suddenly there was a football field, anyway it got weird like always but then got back to normal. Everyone was congratulating Terra on her improvement and her performance. Something bugged Wize, did he forget to turn off his room light, or is it the coffee kettle still on the oven? He couldn't shake the feeling and it only got worse when he looked at Terra." Wize?" Robin shook his shoulder snapping him back to reality." Thought we lost you for a moment." Wize was startled for a moment, but he just smiled." Sorry about that I spaced out for a moment." You've been spacing the out a lot lately friend." Starfire spoke up." Please tell us, are you well?"
"Oh jeeze you too Starfire? I'll be fine." Wize said as he looked down he saw small bright cracks begin to form on his fingertips." Wize!" this time is was Raven who shook him out of it." OH! Sorry again. Must be tired."
"Well we should head back to the Tower anyway and get you some rest. Why don't you ride with Cyborg in the T car this time?" Robin suggested. Wize shook his head." Nah I wanna fly. Get some air in my lungs. I'll meet you guys at the tower." Wize said getting up from his seat and taking a few steps from the Table. He shot them a quick smile, then took off into the sky."…he didn't pay his half." Raven said bitterly." Yup…" Robin sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose." You wouldn't happen to have cash for the tip?"
"Where do you think I have pockets on my outfit?" Raven answered sarcastically getting up and following after Wize." Beastboy?" he looked towards where Beastboy and Terra should be but they were out of sight." Cyborg?" he suddenly heard the sound of the T car speeding away. He then looked at Starfire who just smiled brightly at him." Damn it…" he cussed as he dug out his wallet.
Back at the tower night time was hitting the city. The moon brightly full and above the tower. Beastboy paced nervously outside the object of his affections door. He held a badly wrapped gift that he worked weeks on. His hands scared from the process, he was ready. Or at least he was telling himself that he was ready. After rehearsing it over and over again he hovered his fist over the door ready to knock when suddenly the door flew open, startled he hid the gift behind his back." TERRA! Um hi!" Beast said shyly." Oh Beastboy? Did you need something?"
"Oh no well…I kind of made you this gift." Beasboy stammered before presented the gift forward to Terra." What is it?" she held it gingerly, it felt fragile." Open it up and find out." He replied and she complied and as she opened the gift she was stunned. It was a heart shape mirror jewelry box." Oh Beastboy! I don't know what to say!"
"you could say yes…" he replied to her surprise." Because im about to ask you out on a date." And with that Terra seemed to shut down she looked away she couldn't bear to look at him." Im so sorry Beastboy, I can't." What do you mean?"
"I JUST CAN'T!" the door closes shut leaving Beastboy fully dumbfounded and full of regret. Had he done something wrong? Was it too soon? Did she not like me? He thought bitterly. He returned to his room feeling fully defeated, berating himself with verbal abuse, that is until he heard a tap at this window an hour later. As he looked out the window he saw…" Terra?"
Darren stared at the ceiling of his room books tossed all over the place. Raven would be pissed to see the condition he left some of her borrowed book on his floor. He couldn't bring himself to clean up for a few weeks now. He felt even more uneasy this night especially, since Mercy had yet to visit him tonight she usually is on point tonight. But not tonight for some reason. Something nagged at him maybe it was his earlier conversation with Raven. The thought pissed him off. The girl who spent most of her time suppressing her emotions giving him advice on how to deal with his own emotions. Laughable, absolutely laughable. He shook his head and frowned." I'll show her…" he muttered as he got up and began picking up books and stacking them on his desk. He then grabbed his black T shirt and proceeded to put his arms through the loop. He just needed a trash bag and some air freshener, along with the vacuum. As he walked out his door he noticed that the towered seemed surprisingly darker as he walked down the hall. He noticed that the living room door was already open, he saw a light in the kitchen as he walked into the room he noticed cyborg in front of the fridge and noticed he was holding perfectly still. "Cyborg what are you-"Wize stopped then looked closer above the fridge." Slade bots? But how!" Wize said as he ran for the alarm on the wall suddenly the slade bots jumped between him and the alarm. He can hear Cyborg blasting a few slade bots in the kitchen." MOVE!" he shouted at Sladebots as they begin malfunctioning suddenly and start fighting each other. Wize walked between the struggle and punched the Alarm the sound was heard but the security system didn't activate." Someone shut down the security system!" Cyborg said blasting a few bots with his sonic cannon. "Well then it looks like we are going to have to do this ourselves!" Wize said as bot tried to tackle him but Wize picked it up and used it like a battering ram against a group of bots behind him. Raven was startled awake by the alarm, and the sudden entrance of wize he slammed threw her wall a couple dozen broken slade bots." Wize What the-"
"No time kicking ass now!" Wize said blasting a few bots as they chase after him into the room." NO ONE COMES INTO MY ROOM!" Wize heard a shout behind him then suddenly a whole wall flew passed him and into the hole he made smashing all the bots and sealing the hole." Oh you're going to help me fix my fucking room when this is done!" Raven said gritting her teeth as she clipped her hood on." Let's survive first. They both run outside the room to see Starfire and Robin already clearing out a few bots already." What the…" Wize looked around." What is it? "Raven questioned." Beastboy, and Terra?"
"They're not here! Fight!" Robin shouted while smashing a few heads in with his metal staff. It took a total of three hours of fighting to clear most of the tower of slade bots. Cyborg managed to reactivate the tower security system, which took care of the rest. Beastoby finally ran out the towers front gate, and Robin was the first to approach him." Where were you!? And where's Terra." Beastboy was silent at the mention of her name." Gone?" Wize spoke up first as he approached Beastboy." He nodded then hung his head in shame. Wize patted his shoulder." We need to find Slade…."