An Opposite Attraction: Chapter Three
Summary: The titans get sucked into another dimension where they meet their doubles (Beastboy meets Beastgirl; Cyborg meets Cy Gurl, ect.) Not only the Titans are thrown into this alternate dimension but their enemies as well. Dun dun dun…
Disclaimer:I don't own the Teen Titans or their characters. I do, however, own a character named Max Steeler, and her double Maxwell (Maxx) Steel. They are both characters of my original thought. Don't steal.
Something to Note: For those of you who have read my story "The Untold Story of Max Steeler" some things vary in this story. I am operating under the assumption that Terra and Max are not related. I am also operating under the guidelines and ending of the sixth season rather than the ending of that fanfiction. Clear as mud? Awesome!
Another thing, I am bringing in a character from the teen titans comic series. Rose Wilson and her double. So if you don't know who that is, go Wiki her real quick and come back (though knowledge of her isn't as vital for this specific chapter). Happy reading!
His team was losing. He didn't know by how much. In fact, the boy was hardly aware of his involvement in the game. His thoughts were elsewhere, drifting further and further away from rugby.
"ASHTON!"
The boy hastily looked for the source of the voice and found his friend waving violently at him. Ashton jogged over to where his team huddled. A time out had apparently been called.
"Are you even paying attention, Bro?"
"Sorry," Ashton muttered apologetically. "Let's take them down!" He followed in a somewhat energetic voice, pumping his fist in the air to demonstrate unfelt enthusiasm.
"There we go!" His friend smiled. "Alright, gentlemen, let's go out there and kill!"
As he headed back onto the field, Ashton felt determined to focus on the game.
The ball soon found its way into Ashton's hands. He ran furiously, focusing everything into the effort. Suddenly the earth moved. The ground in front of him shifted. A broken patch tripped up his feet stopping them as the rest of his body continued moving forward. The ball flew from his hands, rolling into the trees.
Boys surrounded him, muttering things like: "Who's responsible for up keeping this field?" and "Terrible job" or "The groundskeeper should be fired."
Ashton pushed himself to his feet.
"You okay, bro?"
Ashton nodded. His eyes, however, watched the broken patch of earth.
"It's like it appeared out of nowhere." His friend whispered, "Weird huh?"
"Yeah," Ashton agreed. "Weird."
Finally, Ashton forced his eyes away. "I'll go get the ball."
He turned and headed into the trees.
It had to be in here somewhere, Ashton thought. He continued his search but, despite his persistence, the ball remained hidden. Nowhere to be found.
"Terrance."
The boy froze. It couldn't be. "My name is Ashton," he said, refusing to turn around, refusing to face her again.
"Terrance, Terrance, Terrance," the voice scolded. "Always running away."
He whirled to face her, screaming.
"I'm not running away!"
"Shhh. They'll hear you, Terrance. And, my dear boy, I don't think you want that."
"What do you want, Sloane?"
"What I've always wanted." She paused, a smile snaking across her lips. "You."
"I'm done with that world, remember? I don't have powers!"
"It's not done with you," she laughed. "I'm always watching, Terrance. Have you so soon forgotten?"
"My name is…"
"Stop pretending!"
He looked away, unable to hold her stare.
"Look at me when I speak to you."
He looked up.
"Your powers, they're returning."
His fist clenched, a yellow glow surrounded it briefly, and vanished just as quickly.
"And as always you aren't capable of controlling them."
"Shut up!" the boy screamed.
A rock beside him rolled a few feet toward Sloane.
"You promised to fight by my side forever, and that's a promise I intend to make you keep." Sloane stepped backward, disappearing into the trees behind, leaving the boy with one final thought. "I'll be waiting."
The boy did not know how long he stood there, staring at where she had disappeared. He couldn't look away. She would be waiting. A promise. A deal. He had sold his soul to the devil, and she was cashing in.
"Ashton! Ashton!"
He heard their cries.
"Where are you? Ashton?"
Yet, even as their sound reached his ears, he found himself walking the opposite way. That wasn't his name. This wasn't his life. He was done pretending.
Terrance was back in action. He hoped.
Sloane had left to confront Terrance, Slade to locate Terra, which left the two metal benders alone.
"This is absolutely brilliant," Max reflected.
"What is?" Maxwell replied.
"I've always thought about it but with just me it was impossible. Now there are two of us! They left the two of us alone!"
Maxwell flashed a quizzical look. To reward him, Sloane had allowed Maxwell to watch a few television shows. From his experience with these shows, when a girl was excited about getting a guy alone, it typically involved one thing. Something he wasn't too comfortable with.
"Ummm," he shifted uncomfortably. "You do realize our genetics are identical, right? Like twins."
"Yeah, so?"
"So we're like brother and sister"
"I know that."
"I mean I'm not saying you're not attractive, because you are, it would just be…"
"What are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about?"
"We can escape!"
Oh.
"Escape?" Maxwell scoffed, "Why would I want to escape? This is my home, Max. Sloane's the closest thing I have to a mother. Why would I abandon her?"
"We deserve a better life!" Max contradicted, "And we can leave, right now, together!"
Maxwell shook his head. "You're talking about treachery. We owe everything to them. They saved our lives."
Max started to argue, but her double stopped her.
"Please stop, or I'll have to report you to Sloane and I don't want to do that."
"But you don't understand!"
"Shut it, or I will tell Sloane."
"Tell me what?"
Both teens froze at the sound of her voice. Sloane stepped into the dim light. She repeated herself.
"Tell me what, Maxwell?"
Maxwell looked over at Max.
"Maxwell," she warned.
Maxwell turned to face her.
"Max was trying to plan an escape. She was trying to get me involved, but I would never leave you, I swear…"
She silenced him.
"Max," she said, her voice laced with disappointment. "Is this true?"
Max forced her gaze downward. Sloane had no control of her. Only Slade. Yet Slade had told her to obey his female counterpart as if she were him. She had been so close. The metal benders eyes trailed upward, connecting with those of the female mastermind.
"It's true."
"And why would you want to leave?"
Sloane hadn't used the word "escape" implying that there was nothing to escape from.
"To escape from this hell," Max retorted, emphasizing the words.
"Come here, Max."
She knew that tone of voice, and she fought against it.
"But I didn't do anything!" She pleaded. "It was only talk. We're still here!"
"Max," she warned. "Come here."
Max continued talking as she walked, groping for any chance at salvation.
"You're not Slade."
"No I am not, nor do I wish to be. Lucky for you."
She stopped when barely an inch stood between them. Sloane stretched an arm out. Max winced expectantly. Sloane did not strike. Instead, Sloane pulled Max close and hugged her. Max didn't know what to do or how to react. She couldn't react.
"You're important," Sloane said. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that?"
Sloane did not strike. She wanted to. Oh, she wanted to. However, Sloane had long ago found that the best way to deal with Maxwell rested between punishment and praise. Max could not be ruled by fear alone. Without some appreciation, Maxwell would long ago have grown to hate her. Instead, he loved her. He would do anything for her. Apparently Slade had not discovered this. Sloane smirked inwardly, the better for her. Both would soon be under her control and hers alone.
Max shook her head, bewildered.
Sloane stepped back.
"If you are loyal to me, I will protect you," Sloane comforted. "You're like a daughter, Max, I appreciate you."
Max gave a small smile.
"You won't leave."
"No," Max replied. "I won't leave."
"Good," Sloane smiled. "I have a project for both of you."
She sat in Terrance's room. The walls were similar to that of her old Titan room. Mountains and stars, an outdoor motif. The walls reminded her of her past, reminded her of all the running. Someone knocked on the door. Terra's heart skipped a beat.
"Come in," she managed.
She was expecting Beastboy or Raven or even Robin. She wasn't expecting Rave. Her enemy's counterpart. What could he want?
"Your shock is understandable," he commented, still not giving an explanation to his appearance. Instead, he allowed the tension to build.
"I'm not going to pretend cordiality when friendship is the furthest thing from my mind." He paused. "I don't know you, nor do I care to, however, I do know your double Terrance. This is my home. These are my friends. If you do anything to hurt my friends, I will personally destroy you. "
Terra couldn't believe it. What right did he have to judge her? He didn't even know her! She hadn't wanted to come, Beastboy had made her come!
"You almost destroyed this city. My termination of you won't be an almost."
Terra looked away focusing all her efforts into controlling her anger.
"You are less than the dirt you used to move. You will never be trusted here."
Terra clenched her fists, staring at the same spot on the wall.
"Why even bother?"
Why even bother? Terra's eyes flashed yellow as she returned her attention to the empath.
"How. Dare. You." She challenged. "You don't even know me! I almost destroyed the city? You almost destroyed the entire freaking world!" She stood, shaking with anger. "I didn't even want to come back to your tower! You don't like me! You don't trust me! You think I wanted to come back to that? I wanted to come back so you could treat me like crap? You're an idiot! You're all idiots! And I wish I could be on the other side of the earth to get away from you and all your freaking bullcrap! You call yourself a hero, but your heart is just as evil as Slade! What about forgiveness? What about freaking forgiveness?"
As she allowed the built-up anger to release, a smoothed rock flew from off a dresser, hitting the nearest wall. She stopped shouting and unclenched her hands. Did she do that? How was that possible?
"You're welcome," the empath said calmly.
She had forgotten he was in the room. She turned to him.
"Now that you know your powers are back, I suggest you learn how to control them. Without help from Slade or Robin or anyone else that's going to intimidate you. I can help if you want.'
"But all those things you said…"
"So much anger and frustration buried inside of you. You needed a reason to release it. I gave you an excuse. That's all."
"So you don't…"
"Think you're less than dirt." He gave a weak smile, "You're right, I did almost destroy the world. And though your friend Raven would never admit it, she understands you more now than she did before. Hurting people you love will do that to you. So are you willing to learn?"
Terra nodded.
"Good. Tomorrow we'll begin. The roof, six-thirty."
"AM?"
Rave nodded and without another word slipped out the door. Terra walked over to the riverbed rock and picked it up, turning it over in her hand. She was back. She was actually back.
"You're out of your league, Terrance."
The geomancer turned sharply. A teenage boy with ivory hair and an eye patch over one eye stood before him. The boy was taller than he was and definitely better built. Terrance looked like a twig standing next to him, a comparison he wasn't at all comfortable with. Ryder Wilson. Son of Sloane Wilson. Terrance attributed Ryder's actions to jealousy. His own mother had looked elsewhere for an apprentice.
"Go back to the kiddie pool."
"What do you want, Ryder?"
Ryder shrugged.
"Question is what do you want? Besides my mother, my abilities and my life."
"Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested."
Terrance turned and kept going.
"Where you headed, Terrance? Running away already?
"I'm going to fix things."
"Scurry back to the Titans then," Ryder chuckled. "You're going to need a lot of duck tape to fix that mess."
Ryder watched the blonde fade into the distance.
A menace, he thought, that kid's a damn menace to society.
He didn't understand what his mother saw in him. Ryder sighed and headed into the nearest bar. First a nice long drink, then a visit to Sloane.
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