Hey guys, I'm back for another update!

So college is coming up in 26 days and I'm so flustered! Money is of the issue right now! UGH!

I also am working on updating a few stories at the moment too... so thats always fun -.-

Enjoy!

~CreatureHanstran~

Chapter 4: Tracked and Traced

No words were said, no whispers, and no breaths were heard. Life before the Titans was a touchy subject for everyone we never told anyone anything for obvious reasons. The five others were my family, I needed them just as much as they needed me. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, I didn't know what to do, I couldn't stop them, we couldn't stop them. The panic started rising within me, I instantly stood up and climbed over the couch, running to my room. I collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily as I hyperventilated, "Oh no, oh no, oooooh no." I breathed, "Okay Rosalina, pull yourself together, they can't find you... He won't find you..." I stared up at the waterfall, "My family will protect me." I muttered. Tears streamed down my face and splashed onto the white carpet, a small plant sprouted from the stain. I got up and walked over to the window, the waves crashed down on the island below, "What am I going to do?" I asked to myself as I stared down at the waves receding below.

Someone knocked on my door, "Uhm... Rose?" Robin asked, I let out a deep breath and pulled myself together to get the door.

I opened the door and let him in, "We need a plan." I said, turning away from him and heading back toward the window,

"Rose, don't you want to talk about the situation?" He asked,

"Talk about what? I have nothing to say except that he needs to be stopped and we can't do that if we don't have a plan." He sighed, "Okay, since this is your mission, you get to call the shots."

"Thanks Robin... but right now, I have nothing."

"Then maybe we need to discuss this with the others." He put a hand on my shoulder and stood next to me.

I sighed, "Yeah, discuss with them how we are going to hurt my family..."

"Rose, I don't know what happened to your family in the past, but if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine. I know how personal things can get." He knows as well as everyone else in the Titans that our personal lives are meant to be unspoken, my past was something that couldn't be forgotten, it was the whole reason I was here,

"I don't want to talk about it, I just want to stop them." I said and headed out towards the living room.

The others were sitting on the couch, the same place they were when I ran off, "We need a plan." I said, the others looked at each other,

"Well, they're your family, what do you have planned?" Beast Boy said, I glared at him,

"That's the problem, I don't have a plan. That's why I came to you guys for help."

They all looked at each other, "Listen, it doesn't matter whose family members they are, we are a team, and we help each other no matter what." Robin said,

"Robin is right, we all have helped each other through our problems, and this time shall not be different." Starfire said,

"Well, if we are going to stop him then we need to know what he's like, what are his strengths and weaknesses?" Cyborg asked.

I didn't want to remember anything about my father, but it would help us to stop him from killing me. I sighed, "He's smart, a mad scientist, and he knows what you're thinking before you actually think of it yourself. I don't know how he does it but he does, but one thing I do know is that he is willing to do anything to get what he wants, even if that means he has to kill someone for it."

"This guy sounds like a lunatic... No offense." Beast Boy said,

"None taken. Now, I think that the first thing to do would be to track him down before he gets here, who knows how many casualties have been caused so far, it would be good to stop them before they get into the city." I said,

Cyborg nodded, "I can do that."

"Good, then the rest of us should train, get ready for the big battle." Robin said, we all nodded and headed off to train.

I was in the gym with Jericho, doing combat training, "No matter what happens you can not hold back when you go to hit me. You have to pretend I'm my father... and as much as I regret saying this, so do I. Got it?" He nodded, "Good, just don't use your powers, that's not what my training is for. I am only here for the express purpose of combat." He nodded.

I smirked, "Get ready." I ran off to hide in the shadows, he looked around, trying to find me. I smirked, "Yaaaaah!" I jumped from behind the wall and kicked him down, he grabbed my foot and threw me down, I kicked his leg then punched him to the ground.

He kicked me in the stomach, sending me to the ground. I landed on my butt, "...W-why would you do something like that?" I fake cried, "Do you like hurting girls?" His face fell, he gave me an apologetic look and held out his hand to help me up.

I grabbed it then flipped him over me, he flopped on the ground behind me as I jumped up, "Rule number one, don't get tricked because if you do, then he will kill you."

He nodded and got up and went to punch me, I grabbed his fist and twisted his arm behind his back, "Rule number two, don't be predictable." I shoved him to the ground, "My father will know your every move, you have to do something unpredictable, something that no one would expect you to do." And that's exactly what he did.

Jericho wrapped his legs around mine and took me out by the knees, then he rolled over so I had my back on the ground and he pinned me down, I stared at him in shock, "How did you...?" I smiled at him, "Nice job." He smiled back at me, "I think we're done with combat training for now, we should try endurance training next at the obstacle course with the others, but all in all you did a good job."

He nodded and got off of me. I got up and looked in the mirror, Jericho came up behind me, "You know Jericho... It's hard to admit this, but for the first time in a long time... I'm afraid." I looked at the mirror and could see the scared little girl who protected her little sister when her mom died, and the same scared girl who had abandoned her family, her sister, when her father had threatened to kill them. I looked at Jericho's reflection, "I may be afraid..." I turned towards him, "But that doesn't mean I can't fight back."