A whole week had passed since the battle with Slade. The Justice League had sent no further orders to Kaldur and his team, other than to continue staying with the Titans. The days following Slade's defeat had been quiet ones and the local supervillains appeared to be content with lying low and other than a brief encounter with the remnant of the Hive-5, which turned out to be a non event as the young criminals were not actually breaking any laws as they shopped (legitimately) at a grocery store, which included paying for their purchase with real, non-counterfeit cash there had been nothing of interest to do.
The two teams contented themselves to simple social activities (Raven still refused to engage in any sports). The YJs slowly came to terms with Raven and the changeling being an "almost married couple". For some reason, YJ-Robin seemed to be the most obsessed with them, to the point that he didn't notice that Artemis and Wally were hanging out together a lot more than usual and were being very civil to each other.
Terra had fully recovered from her surgery, and true to her promise Raven used a spell to remove the petrification curse from the geomancer. She performed it in private, with Beast Boy serving as her assistant. Terra was surprised to learn to Raven had begun to teach him the basics of magic and the green lad proved to be a quick study. The spell Raven cast was simple. Terra placed her ring into the palm of her hand and Raven placed the master ring next to it as well. She then chanted something that sounded ugly. It wasn't some pretty, flowing spell in Latin like one would hear chanted by Harry Potter or Negi Springfield. A deep guttural sound in a tongue that was clearly not of this Earth emanated from Raven's throat as her eyes glowed an obsidian black. Terra felt her whole body vibrate and watched in amazement as the two rings turned to dust and blew away. Raven later explained to her that the magic in the rings had now been absorbed into her body and would remain there until the blond died, at which point she would turn back into stone.
That had occurred a few days before, and Terra had kept to herself since then, often seeking solitude on the Tower's roof or along the island's shoreline. Like the others, she was also having trouble coping with Raven and Beast Boy's new status, but in her own case it cut much deeper.
Terra was sitting on the shoreline, skipping stones absentmindedly while she pondered the unpleasant truth. Learning that the couple had taken their relationship to "the next level" was heartbreaking for her. She recalled the fateful evening she asked Beast Boy out on a date to get him out of the Tower so he wouldn't be there when Slade attacked. That evening had been the most magical one in her life; it was also the night when she snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Had she not betrayed the Titans that night things would have turned out differently. He would be hers now, sleeping in her bed and not in Terra's room. Terra choked back a sob as she skipped another stone.
Who am I kidding? I never stood a chance against Raven. BB doesn't need a psycho like me. Raven might not be Miss Congeniality, but she has it where it counts. She's loyal and dependable, not to mention selfless and noble. And being a half demon doesn't hurt, at least not in the bedroom. They think I don't notice when they "disappear" for half an hour in the afternoon. I don't need to ask, I can see it on BB's face when they come back to the common room … dammit! That could have been me, it should have been me … but I blew it.
How can I possibly compete with her?
Terra skipped another stone as she heard someone approach. It was Kaldur'ahm, who appeared to be out for walk.
"Miss Markov, forgive me for intruding on your privacy. If you wish l shall leave."
Terra shook her head.
"It's OK Kaldur, you don't have to go." She replied as she skipped another stone.
Kaldur picked a rock up and threw it. It sank on the first bounce.
"Never skipped stones before, have you?"She laughed half heartedly.
"It is not a common practice in Atlantis."
"I guess I you can't do it underwater, I'll show you how it's done."
After instructing him on the basics of picking a good stone and on how to throw it he tried again. On his first try it skipped 4 times.
"Not bad." She congratulated him.
"Thank you Miss Markov."
She gave him a weak smile.
"I'm glad I'm good for something. So are you still getting married?"
He nodded.
"Yes, Tula and I will be wed next week in Atlantis, I hope that you will be able to come to Atlantis and be present during the ceremony. I'm afraid that you will require breathing apparatus as traditional Atlantean weddings are held underwater."
Terra suppressed a laugh.
"Not a big deal. Believe or not, there are surface people who get married underwater while wearing scuba gear."
Kaldur looked surprised.
"Is this a common tradition?"
This time Terra could not contain her laugher.
"Not really, but some people like to have unusual weddings. I've heard of people getting married while skydiving, in the nude, riding roller coasters at amusement parks, cycling, you name it."
Kaldur gave her a disturbed look.
"I sometimes find surface people to be … perplexing."
"You aren't the only one." She replied somberly. "Sometimes I feel that I don't really fit in here either."
"Miss Markov, may I ask you a personal question?"
Terra locked eyes with the dark Atlantean.
"Sure, why not?"
"Forgive me if my question causes you discomfort, and please do not feel compelled to answer."
"It's OK Kaldur, go ahead and ask." She replied as she sat down on a boulder.
He sat down on another rock.
"How do you feel about Raven and Beast Boy's relationship? Starfire has told us that you and Beast Boy were once in love with each other."
Terra sighed.
"It's true, we were. And then I threw it all away like a fool. As for how I feel about them: I hate it. I wish he slept in my bed and not in hers … but it's too late for that now, I've lost him for good. I also know that I should leave, but there really is nowhere to go. If I remain part of the superhero community, I'll always be in touch with them … maybe I could become a nun?" She joked halfheartedly.
"I understand your pain Miss Markov, as I myself once experienced similar heartache in my own universe."
"I see, so we're birds of a feather, huh?"
"In a way, yes, except that I received a second chance in your reality."
Terra sobbed and wiped away a tear.
"Is there a Beast Boy in your universe? One that isn't attached to Raven?"
Kaldur shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm afraid that I have heard of no one with powers like Beast Boy's own in our universe ... but I would like to make you an offer Miss Markov."
"An offer?"
"Yes. If the path back to our universe is discovered … you are welcome to return with us. You will no longer be burdened by your past dealings with Deathstroke and will be able to have a new start. Of course the odds of finding our way home are still very small, but we have not given up hope yet."
Terra nodded her acceptance.
"Thank you Kaldur, I think I will go with you. And you're right, there always is hope."
-( scene break )-
TT-Robin was sitting at his desk, with Raven at his side. They were preparing a preliminary budget for the Titans next fiscal year, which they always did as they were the most level headed members of the team. They were rushing to finish as they were suppose to leave for Atlantis that afternoon with their teammates. Raven was studying one of the pages in the proposed budget.
"Cyborg wants 20% more for his tech budget? And just from where is that money supposed to come?"
"Let's give him 10%." Robin replied.
"No, he plays the same game every year. He asks for an outlandish increase and we end up giving him a smaller, but still very large raise to his budget and then we have to scrounge getting it from somewhere else. The general budget was only increased 4% this year and there are many other things that have been neglected over the years because he always takes the lion's share of any new money."
"So what are you proposing Raven?"
The sorceress grabbed a red pen and crossed out Cyborg's requested increase, replacing it with a huge zero.
"He gets nothing extra. Have you taken a look at the carpeting in the Tower lately?"
"Uh … no … why?"
Raven rolled her eyes.
"It's threadbare in some places. We have over 3000 square yards of commercial grade carpeting that needs to be replaced. Do you have any idea of how much that's going to cost Robin?"
"Let me guess … a lot?"
"Over $100,000 Robin, which is why Cyborg won't get any extra money to buy toys this year." She answered defiantly.
"I'm sure he'll understand Raven, but would you mind breaking the bad news to him?"
"I'll be glad to do so." She replied in her monotone.
Robin chuckled internally as Raven flipped to the next page in the budget. She had changed in so many ways since the day they met and yet she remained the same Raven he had grown to love. As he continued to ponder how his "sister" had changed over the years, mostly for the best the console in his office beeped, signaling an incoming call. He pressed a button and Batman's face appeared on the screen.
"Raven, Robin, nice to see you."
"Batman." They replied tersely.
"What can we do for you?" Raven asked.
"Thank for your offer Raven. I was just calling to congratulate you on a job well done."
"Beast Boy and I let Slade get away." Raven droned in her monotone.
"That was unfortunate. You were both injured at the time, so it couldn't be helped. But you worked well with our trainees and accomplished what we were unable to do. The nation owes your teams a great debt and its gratitude."
"Thanks." Robin replied while Raven sat impassively, her face betraying no expression.
"I also want to invite the Titans to stay with us in the Justice League submarine during the wedding. It's quite spacious and you'll all have real staterooms during the trip. I know you have your own submarine, but we'd be honored if you stayed with us."
"Thanks Batman, we accept." Robin replied.
"Very well, we'll be by to pick you up this afternoon. Batman out."
Batman's image was replaced by the Titan's logo on the screen.
"Well, that was unexpected." Raven announced in her deadpan, gravelly voice.
-( scene break )-
Cyborg finished setting up his array of sensor dishes and antennae and was typing furiously on a portable console he brought into the hanger. The white ovoid stood silently, parked next to the T-Ship.
"OK Megan, I'm ready."
Miss Martian nodded at the tin man and closed her eyes, searching for her bioship's collective mind. Cyborg watched her focus for a moment before her expression changed and she smiled. He watched breathlessly as the ovoid began to morph and adopted the elegant shape of a Martian space craft.
"Beginning external diagnostics." He announced in a self absorbed voice as his eyes remained glued to the screen.
"Memory core is online … commencing download." He added in an uncharacteristic for him monotone.
He tapped a few more keys and finally relaxed, leaning back in his chair. "Memory core analysis is running."
"How does it look Cyborg?" She asked.
"The diagnostics look good. Once they're done and we've completed the core download and analysis you should be able to begin your own diagnostics."
"I hope the memory core isn't corrupted." She added. "We'd have to wipe it clean and the bioship would lose all of its memories. I would have to retrain it from scratch. In fact, I would have to reintroduce myself to the bioship, it would have no memory of me."
Cyborg glanced at the console.
"So far so good, it's only 20% complete but so far there are no signs of memory corruption."
The tin man noticed the worried look on her face.
"So how are things between you and Superboy?"
M'Gann's face brightened at the question.
"I asked Raven for advice the other day …"
"Whoa! You asked Raven for advice about guys? Our Raven? Why didn't you ask Starfire? I mean, that's more up her alley."
M'Gann giggled happily.
"Raven knows more than you think, and it was Starfire who suggested I consult with her."
Cyborg gave her a skeptical look.
"Connor and I went out to lunch with her and Beast Boy."
"That sounds like a barrel of fun. So how long was it until Raven and Superboy were at each other's necks?"
She shook her head and smiled.
"It wasn't like that at all. Beast Boy was such a gentleman with Raven. He did all those old fashioned things I've seen on the old black and white TV shows. He opened the car door for her, took her arm in his, he bought her flowers. He was so attentive, Raven actually … smiled."
"What? You're saying the grass … I mean BB … did all that?"
M'Gann nodded enthusiastically.
"And the next day, Connor brought me flowers! They made me sneeze as we Martians aren't used to earth pollens, but they we so pretty."
Cyborg was grinning by this point.
"So what did you do?"
She began to blush.
"I … I kissed him!"
"Alriiiight! That's my girl!"
M'Gann's blush intensified but before she could say anything else she was interrupted by a loud alarm from the console.
"Cyborg, is something wrong with the bioship?"
His fingers flew across the keyboard.
"It's the memory core."
Her face fell.
"It's corrupt, right?"
"No, that's not it." He replied as he continued to type. He frowned as a hex dump appeared on the screen.
"Hang on. I'm gonna run this through a filter."
His fingers continued to dance on the oversized keyboard.
"No way. I don't believe it!"
"What is it Cyborg? What's wrong with the bioship?"
Cyborg was grinning at the point.
"The memory core has the complete log of your trip to our universe, including the exit vector from the wormhole."
Megan shook her head.
"What does that mean?"
"I'll have to start a reverse iterative extrapolation, and it'll take a few days to complete, but once it's done …"
He paused to catch his breath.
".. then you guys can go home."
-( scene break )-
Before you guys pop a champagne cork, there's Kaldur and Tula to worry about. Will Tula marry him and go back with him? Will Kaldur hook up with Terra instead?
I know … I'm evil! But I did produce this chapter ahead of schedule!
And now, for the mail bag!
She-Pirates kick-BUTT - ""Tell him about that wedgie I gave you once." Lol.
CUTE Artemis and Kid Flash moment, LOVED IT!
YAY! Terra's coming back! I've always liked her, and can't wait to see the challenges she puts for BB/Raes relationship.
wow, when you put it like that, M'gann and Superboy's relationship is a lot like BB and Rae's.
GREAT CHAPTER"
Thanks! The similarities are indeed there and also partially between Wally and Artemis. I think it's what the Japanese call 'tsundere'
chipmunkswillrule13 - "Happy Birthday! Can't wait to see the ending"
I have a few surprises in store.
Master Doc - "Wally is hilarious haha. "Yes, Yes, YES!" That part really made me smile"
Some guys are just too shy to go out on limb. I know I was when I was Wally's age (and I sometimes kick myself about that!)
Riqis Inna Sunja - "Great chapter! i love how naive m'gann is. and wally and artemis! great way to put then together! i applaud you! my birthday was the 25, last wednesday :) happy b-day, good luck and please update soon!"
M'Gann is like a Starfire without the bad grammar sometimes. Actually, that's another parallel: RobStar.
almostinsane - "Great chapter! LOL. Same ol' Slade... Just one thing. I thought Robin was Kid Flash's best friend? LOL, no matter. Do I sense a double date in the near future? Triple date if Kid Flash and Artemis come along? Thanks for writing this. God bless!"
Maybe Robin WAS his best friend, but M'Gann has nicer curves, if you know what I mean.
titanfan45 - "Happy Birthday! Great job on Raven and M'Gann's conversation, I can just hear Raven say "thaaat may not be such a good idea." I'm glad things are looking a bit brighter for Terra, she doesn't deserve to remain under Slade's control."
Thanks. Since he isn't using his pen name lately, maybe I should call myself "still too old for this 2"
Ansa88 - "i don't HATE terra, she just rubbed me the wrong way when she betrayed them...it's like raven giving herself up just cuz it's hopeless, i mean really, are you even gonna take a stand? sorry, i was just SCREAMING at raven in that episode. especially after she knocked out the TT team. anywho, this is AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFULLY DESCRIPTIVELY WRITTEN! i LOVE the wally-artemis part, so sweet! :) LOL mother of all wedgies...bb did you ever learn back then? *shakes head, smiling* now bb is raven's goofball? awww...that's really nice! and sweet! oh boy i'm starting to get repetitive now, am i? oh, and i love the self-doubting part, then raven just thinks-i worry to much. that sounds like a PERFECT portrayal of raven. it is rather strange that both ravenxbb and m'gannxsb both have green people that can shape-shift and a person that's not experienced at expressing emotions, never really thought about it that way...very cool. oh man this is a long review...sorry for waffling on so long."
Thanks! I'm trying to write "nicer" and some days it works better than others.
Coppa-Cola - "Happy birthday! And thank you for updating. I thought that this chapter was nice. It shows how worried both Raven M'gann can be about their respective love interests."
And I had fun showing the other side of the coin: Terra also has her own self doubts.
a random reader - "Yeah Waltemis! Yeah Supermartian! Yeah double date and atomic wedgies! But you make me feel bad for Terra...poor Terra:,( Okay feeling bad done...So when the YJ go home you should have them take Terra with them...as a fresh start for poor Terra...What? I'm not completly heartless..."
Well, you guessed right chief! As for the pairings, I predict that it won't be until the end of the series: Aretmis will go "Terra" on them and break Wally's heart while Kon and M'Gann will be an "unconventional couple".
KaliAnn - "Happy Birthday to you! I give you a cake, but I this review will have to do as a present. I think it was amazing how you got Wally and Artemis close enough that they bared their soul and kissed! Raven shouldn't feel threatened by Terra whose going to be so grateful not to be stone and used anymore that she won't dare mess with Beast Boy. Megan shouldn't give up hope either Superboy likes her. I was wondering if your planning on sending Terra to the YJ world where she can have a fresh start. Well have a nice night friend."
And you guessed correctly as well (sending Terra back with the YJs)
Hinn-Raven - "Yay! The Artemis/Kid Flash shipper in me is currently bouncing up and down.
I really enjoyed the insight to Raven's thoughts about Terra, and then her brief interaction with Beast Boy. I also loved M'gann's interaction with Raven.
Great job, as per usual!"
I have a bad feeling that in the show Artemis is going to be the YJ's "Terra"
nequam-tenshi - "A wonderful chapter but I hope Terra does not tear them apart."
She's seen the light. Maybe she'll find someone nice on the other side?
Kitty723 - "Yes! The ring is safe,hooray! Their were alot of pairs in this story like bbxraven and meganxsuperboy,thanks 4 the update"
So many characters make things complicated. Plus being a BBRae shipper I have to exercise self control (and often fail) so they don't dominate the story.
Reina Grayson - "wow, this is good. what you replied to my review though is true, Slade always has a way out. I know Rae had to protect batgirl, but maybe she can go psycho on him in a later chapter."
Slade is their Nemesis, and the nemesis always gets away.
swirlhearty23 - "Nice chapter"
Thanks!
Gingerstorm101 - "HAPPY BIRTHDAY! you know, for tomorrow! anyways, its only 2 hours from here and ive been to the CN tower ONCE! and that was in grade 8, im in 11 right now.
and your menmorial weekend is this weekend? mine was last weekend, though its called victoria day...
*gives batman one of ravens wedgies... why? because he stupid and deserves every last milenium of it, even if Slade is rotflhsa about it*
and i thank you!
yah! mail bag! *gives you a kiss*
UPDATE SOON PLZ!"
In the USA Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May ... now I'm blushing!