Déjà vu: A feeling that the situation I'm in has happened before. That this isn't the first time I've been here. It was a rough paraphrase of a definition, but it fit perfectly.

Just like this suit.

I should have felt so many other things. Fear that everyone I knew, good and bad, hated me more than ever before. Anger that I had been duped by my worst nightmare… again.

In a sick way, I could have even felt so jubilant that the decision to return to this life was no longer mine to make. Because there's really no right answer to leading life fake and happy or real and pitiful.

Finally, of course, there was regret. I should have been drowning in it. Regret that I was, once again, trying to kill the five best things that ever happened to me. Regret that I'm listening to this madman whisper his poison in my ear, courtesy of the earpiece that makes me want to burst my own eardrums.

Why does he even bother -Wait, I forgot something. Oh right.

Exasperation. That's what I'm feeling.

Yep. You heard that right. Above all else, the feeling I have is the one that this is getting old. But I haven't even introduced myself yet.

Hi. My name is Terra. Real name Tara Markov. And as anyone who knows me will tell you, I have done some terrible things.

Oh. And those regrets I mentioned? As one of those old timers would say, I've had a few. But unlike baby blue eyes, I have plenty of them to mention.

And I haven't done much my way.


Let's see. What's the first thing I remember after taking one for the team? Right. Stumbling out of that cave and finding that everybody else around me was a statue.

Ok. Not the weirdest thing I've seen. But still, what happened?

Then I saw him. Or at least, I saw it. Red, four eyed, and so big there was a crater from where it used Titans Tower as a throne.

And guess who else was there? My old friends, the Teen Titans. Leading the charge was Raven, who apparently is the daughter of the giant demon. Shocking. But what would you know, except who else was there?

Him

The man who made my life as close to hell as the world around us now looked. The man that I know for a fact I personally sent to hell.

And now he's back when a giant demon is attacking the Earth.

Looking back, I realize that couldn't be a coincidence.

I didn't know whether to laugh in bitter anger or cry in abject terror. So, I did both, looking for all the world like a psychopath. Tears streamed down my face as I cackled insanely. I can only imagine what it looked like. And how the others didn't notice is something I can't answer. Then again, they seemed pretty intent on the menace in front of them.

Makes sense.

After recovering from my little episode, I then realized this was a chance. I then proceeded to do what I do best in the face of danger.

I ran.

I ran harder than I ever had before. And considering that I was once on the receiving end of five vengeful Titans, I think that says something.

I wound up back in the cave that became my tomb – for two years I later discovered – to grab anything not consumed by the lava. It was surprising how much was left. Then, I did one of the most physically painful things I'd ever done. I took the suit off.

Actually, that doesn't quite describe the process. After trying to rip it off with my hands, I tried to sever my skin from it with a sharpened stalagmite. A lot of pain and no gain.

Afraid I'd be trapped in it for good, I then tried to end it all. But my aim was off, fortunately or unfortunately (I can't decide which). Instead of driving the rock through my skull, it struck me in the chest. Not going through, though. It hit me right in the disc.

I've been tasered before. My lack of control had gotten me in plenty of trouble with the law. It was a love tap compared to what happened next.

My entire body felt like it was about to fry. For a brief moment, I wondered if he felt like this when the lava touched. You know, before it disintegrated him. I also remember thinking that I'd gotten my wish. That I was about to die.

And then it stopped. And the suit came off.

This is part of the reason I bothered even coming back. Changing into some "civilian" clothes, as he called them, I ran back out. I'm guessing they won, seeing as how there were no more statues and the sky was pretty again. Thankfully, everyone had gone home, so there was no one to notice me running out of a dark cavern.

As far as I was concerned, I could start fresh. Details could come later.

I should have known it wouldn't be that easy.