There was a real sick feeling in his stomach, looking at Cyborgs clone broken and scattered along the floor. It wasn't really Cyborg, but it was almost like looking at his friend's dead body. Logan was calm after they escaped the crumbling HIVE Academy, but the image of Cyborgs broken face still lingered.
He felt like he was slipping. Missing the two ladies that were in harms way during the fight with Mammoth. Letting the Hive Five get out of jail. Allowing Slade to walk out of his lair before the police raided it. And now, not following Cyborg into the HIVE Academy to face Brother Blood. Who got away.
He sat on the couch as Cyborg finished telling the team about what he and Blood spoke about during the end of their fight.
They all needed some space after the whole ordeal, so they went their separate ways. Or some of them did. He sensed Starfire go to Cyborg, and he was happy they continued to have their heart to heart talk.
And Logan found himself heading towards the Boulder again. He finally sat down on the rock, when… feelings started to take over him.
It had been happening a lot lately. Where he was always in the kitchen cooking for the team, by Cyborgs side during his routine checkups on the tower, training with Robin and Raven, now… He was spending more time alone. Thinking.
What if he went out, and captured all the bad guys.
Slade… Blood… all the power wielding foes they've come across.
No one would know. They would just… disappear.
No longer a problem to anyone. No longer a threat. To his team… his family.
Logan shook his head. He shouldn't think like this. He had no right to remove people from the city, just to protect the Titans. He knew, that they needed to have these battles. They needed to grow stronger, learn from the experience of being heroes. He couldn't let his personal feelings get in the way, then start a raid to stop the bad guys completely. So as much as he'd like to erase their enemies from the field, he couldn't.
Those 'feelings' began to fade, and he was left truly alone. He couldn't exactly say what they were, but he knew there was more to himself. More to LOGAN. More than the mysterious guy Cyborg found in the trash. Maybe they were parts of his life. Maybe that's what they were…
Memories.
—-
"Guys, I received an alert from the police. There's a meta human out in the dunes outside Jump. They want us to see if they're a danger," Robin said in the common room.
Cyborg lifted his arm up, and readied the security alarm once they exited the tower. They headed to the garage, where Cyborg parked his latest creation. The T-Car. His baby.
So they loaded into the car, buckled in, then sped through the underground tunnel to come out on the mainland of Jump City.
On their way to the dunes, that 'feeling' began to come to Logan. But he softly pushed it down, whatever it was trying to make him feel, he'd do what he could to keep the team safe. He saw that Raven was looking at him curiously. He smiled at her, and she looked ahead. He relaxed in his seat, they'd be there soon.
Cyborg saw the dust cloud ahead, so he hit the brakes and slid to a stop. The moment the car went into park, the Titans jumped out and made their way to the cliff side, overlooking where the meta human should be. And they were right.
A blond girl lured a giant scorpion into a trap, after dodging and weaving between its strikes. When it looked like she was going to be impaled from its stinger.
She crushed the giant scorpion. With earth.
Once the dust settled, she looked up to the group of teens. Her eyes opened wide, and she turned her back to her defeated enemy.
"WOW, you're the Teen Titans!" She smiled.
Robin scouted the area, in case they were anymore scorpions, then headed down to the dune to meet with her. Cyborg headed down too, and Starfire chose to float down to greet the girl. Raven looked over to see Logan staring at the girl. She thought he would say something, but he just looked at her.
Up and down.
Raven feeling… she shook her head. She floated down too. But Logan stood atop the cliff.
"You're Robin. Cyborg. Starfire. You're Raven, and…" she stopped when she had to look up to the last member.
Seeing that he was making the situation awkward, he jumped down softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep my distance."
"You're Logan! Your like, my favorite Titan!" Blushing, and feeling embarrassed that she said such a thing, especially in front of the others, she waived both hands. "N-Not that you guys aren't as cool… I'm Terra."
Logan smiled. "It's nice to meet you Terra."
"So what are you doing out here?" Robin asked. Then Terra began to talk about her travels. The others liked how friendly and laid back she was.
"You're a real California surfer girl." Cyborg said. Terra laughed, and replied she had been jumping from beach town to beach town.
"Do you have the place to stay friend? A hotel perhaps?" Starfire asked.
Terra wasn't laughing anymore, she rubbed the back of her neck. Then the Titans noticed the only thing around her was a backpack. Nothing else.
"Are you camping? Where's your tent, where have you been sleeping?" Robin asked.
"I sleep under the night sky." Terra tried to answer the question with a positive note, but the team took it as she didn't have a place to stay.
"Then you must stay with us friend Terra! We have plenty of the room in the tower."
"Is it really a tower? A giant letter T?" Terra realized she looked hopeful, then went to decline the offer.
"If you don't have any place to stay, we could let you crash for the night, is that good Robin?" Cyborg asked. It was better to get everyone's approval before they let her in their home.
"I don't see why not, if you have no where to sleep, we can offer you the couch. It's comfortable." Robin said.
"I… I don't know..."
Starfire looked to Logan and Raven, "it shouldn't be a problem, right friends?"
"…"
"It should be alright, it sucks sleeping outside. You don't want rocks digging into your back while you sleep." Logan said.
Terra laughed. "I soften the ground every time I camp for the night."
Everyone looked to Raven.
"It shouldn't be a problem…"
"Well it's getting late, and it's starting to get cold. Let's pile in the car, and head home."
So folding the center console, Starfire sat in the front with Cyborg and Robin. In the back Raven, Terra and Logan sat together. With Logan in the middle.
Terra looked over to Logan, "what's the biggest animal you've changed into?" Then the Titans headed home with their new friends asking questions about them. Mostly to Logan.
The T-Car sped off into town. And a dark figure stepped out of a cave nearby.
"I found her first Titans…"
And off in the distance, a rattlesnake flicked its tongue.
—-
"A-Are you sure?" Terra asked, as she was pushed towards the bathroom.
"Of course friend, you do the washing up and I shall wash your clothes for you. Friend Logan has already started on dinner, and the others will wait for the meal." Starfire pushed her new friend to the single bathroom they had in the hallway.
"Need help with dinner… Romeo?" Cyborg laughed, and Robin tried to hide a grin. Raven wasn't amused.
"Ha ha, no. Get out of the kitchen." Logan already had the water heating up and the vegetables and meat chopped. So Cyborg and Robin settled in the couch, and Raven hovered in the corner with a book.
Sometime later, a fresh and clean Terra along with the rest of the team were called to the table. The smell of food was inviting, and they were all waiting for Logan to give the call.
"Thanks for helping Terra, Starfire. You've been really supportive of her." Robin spoke quietly to Starfire, so Terra didn't hear.
"It is the nothing friend Robin, it is a joy to welcome a new friend in our home." Starfire smiled and Robin smiled back.
A big pot of stew, pot of rice, grilled vegetables and a salad almost filled the table as the teens sat down.
"This looks delicious Logan, you didn't have to make this much just cause I'm here." Terra said the last part shyly.
"You're a guest, and it's just a hearty meal. It's not like I cooked a fancy cuisine." Logan replied with a smile.
"It looks really good Logan." Robin said. The others nodded and began to serve their plates. Soon the kitchen was quiet, with the only sounds being silverware hitting their plates.
They started asking Terra about her travels, hoping to learn about her, but they could see the uneasiness at answering them. So they talked about hobbies and fun things they do in their spare time.
Soon, dinner was over, and they were all getting tired. Cyborg headed to the closet and grabbed a giant stack of blankets. He and Starfire unfolded them, and began to make a bed for Terra on the couch. She looked at them, a warm feeling in her stomach.
Then they all stood up, and readied for bed.
"I hope you have a good night on the couch, it's more comfortable than it looks." Robin said.
"Yes friend, do sleep well. You will rest much better inside the tower, than outside in the cold."
"Sleep good, and we'll catch you at breakfast." Cyborg said.
"… good night." Raven said.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. There's a radio on the wall, it can call our communicators. Have a nice sleep Terra." Logan said, then the Titans shuffled off to their rooms.
Terra had a blush, but thanked them.
—-
Cyborg was about to split off to his room, when Robin told him to hang back.
"Guys, let's have a team meeting." He said to the others in the hallway. Knowing what Robin wanted to discuss, they nodded their heads and readied to talk about Terra.
"It's nice that we offered Terra a place to stay for the night, but we need to also be careful about inviting a stranger inside our home." He looked to the others.
"It was very nice to extend the welcoming to Terra, but you are correct. She CAN be a threat, like Jinx." Starfire was no longer bubbly, but serious.
Cyborg nodded his head. "It sucks that we have to be suspicious of her, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
Logan turned to Raven. "You don't trust her, do you Raven?"
Raven said nothing. She had an uneasy feeling about inviting Terra into the tower. Everyone just smiled and started pampering her. She was afraid that the others would be upset if she voiced her concerns. But she was happy that it was brought this up, and even happier when her friends thought this out logically. But now she was being called out to give her opinion.
"… yeah. I just have a weird feeling about having her in the tower." Logan smiled, and she didn't feel like she was being unreasonable.
"It's alright to be cautious of her. We won't treat her like an enemy, but we should still be nice to her. Just like we all were when we met." Logan said.
"So what do we do, should we leave her unmonitored?" Robin asked looking at the team.
"If it's alright with you, I'll watch out for her. I can always transform into an animal and sleep nearby. If anything comes up, I'll message you guys. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."
The others looked at each other. Logan always volunteered when it came to a stake out. So they agreed, and headed to their rooms. Raven was headed last when Logan stopped her.
"I'm sorry if we ignored you Raven, we all just got excited at helping someone who was in a similar situation that we were in, before we became a team.
Raven absorbed his words and nodded. "Hopefully… things work out." She looked at him, then headed to her room.
Logan watched her go, then headed to the double doors and sat on the ground. He leaned against the wall and listened to Terra toss and turn on the couch.
—-
Terra was sitting on a boulder, watching the tide come in. She felt guilty accepting all the hospitality from the Teen Titans. She didn't deserve their kindness. Especially if they found out about-"
"You looked worried, you wanna talk?"
She jumped, and the ground from under Logan began to shift and rock violently. But Logan didn't look scared, he just looked down at the ground, keeping his balance. He looked up to see Terra try desperately to stop the earth from shaking. With her arms stretched out, and shaky breathing, she finally stopped the ground from under Logan. She looked embarrassed.
"Were you having trouble?" He asked.
Terra bolted up, "I have to leave…" she was about to run. Forget her backpack, she could always start over in another town.
"No you don't. You can stay here… with us."
She stopped, with her back to Logan. No one had ever asked for her to stay. She always ran away, before any friends could be made. But she stopped now.
"If you have nowhere to go. If you want a place to call home. If you need help, in anything Terra… just ask. And I'll do everything I can, to help you. We all will."
She didn't say anything. She didn't want him to see her blushing cheeks at his words, or the tears in her eyes at his willingness to help.
She heard footsteps come towards her, and she slowly turned to him. He held out his hand.
"Let's head inside, we can start fresh in the morning."
She looked into his eyes. Strong, caring, protective. Eyes that a girl could fall in love with. So she reached to him.
—-
The Titans and their guest sat around the kitchen table.
After a side glance and head nod to the others, the rest of the Titans continued to give Terra a warm welcome into the tower. So after a big breakfast, made by Logan and Starfire, they headed to the obstacle course.
Terra stood nervously as Robin completed the course, going at a slower pace so she could follow him visually. He returned to the starting area where the others waited.
"So that's the direction you follow in the course, are you ready to jump in?"
"S-Sure…" she gave a fake confident smile.
She headed to the starting line, as Cyborg reset the terminal to ready the bots.
"And Go!" He yelled. Terra shot off.
The Titans watched as she removed chunks of earth to ride along the course and raise up barriers from incoming projectiles. She slipped and tripped a few times, and there was a close call or two. But she finally made it at a respectable timing.
They congratulated her, with Raven giving her a nod, when the crime alert rang across the obstacle course.
"Titans, head to the common room!"
—-
So a boulder fell on him… big whoop. He had been giving his teammates support against these robots that looked like B movie Slade rejects. Robin was doing a great job of bashing them. His hatred of Slade was pushing him overboard, but all the pent up frustration that the masked villain gave him needed to come out.
Lasers and a giant drill were the best these hunk of junk could do, and the surprise of "Slade bots" wore off real quick. Slade went from nano bots capable of giving them heart attacks… to this. Maybe he made a mistake in letting the villain walk away.
One transformation later, and the rock flew off of him. He looked to see the others finishing the last of the robots, so he headed towards Terra's scent.
Slithering between rocks, and burrowing through earth, he finally made it to Terra.
"No body else understands you Terra, no one else can help you… I'll be waiting." Then the coward ran.
And Logan wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he really wanted to just kill him already.
But there were more important people that needed him. So he pushed forward, and called out to her.
"Terra!"
She spotted him, through teary eyes. She held her head, like that was going to help her stop this hurricane. So he increased his density, making him heavier, and made sharp appendages beneath his feet to grab the ground. And he walked to her.
"You can stop this Terra!" He yelled, and she looked at him.
"You're strong, you've made it this far in your life, and you can keep going!" She began to cry as her tears poured from her eyes.
"I believe in you, and so do the others. We wouldn't have welcomed you in our home if we didn't!" And the hurricane began to die down. She started to slowly lower to the ground, until she finally met him face to face.
"Admitting you need help, is hard Terra. But friends will always be there for you. I'll be there for you. Just ask… and we'll help you."
The storm finally stopped.
For so long, she ran away. Ran from anyone who ever showed her kindness. Ran from any opportunity to make a life for herself. Because she was scared. Embarrassed. Ashamed. A failure. She was alone. Tears kept falling as she was slipping into despair.
Then strong arms wrapped around her, and she was startled. Her head was in his chest, and he squeezed her.
"You're not alone Terra… you have us."
"… I-I need help!" she screamed. Then she wailed into his chest. Cried the worst she ever had in her life. Her fingernails dug into his suit and she shook. She cried and cried, not knowing if she would ever stop. But through her pain, she still felt his arms around her. Squeezing her, rubbing circles into her back. Pressing his head into hers. Holding her, like no one ever did.
"I need…" she shook. "Need…" she wailed. "Help…" He couldn't hold her close enough. So she buried deeper into him. Until she couldn't see anymore, hear anymore. Her breathing slowed down, she fell into a deep slumber.
And the Teen Titans watched her crumble, asleep in Logan's arms.
—-
Cyborg finished his readings of Terra. She was lying in the medical bay bed at the tower. Her readings weren't too bad, but didn't look good either. He turned his head to see the others on the opposite side of the window. So he looked her over again, then headed to the door.
Once he walked through, Starfire rushed to him.
"Is she alright friend?" The others stood by, wanting to hear about Terra's health.
"She not in any danger, but she's underweight and pretty dehydrated. She's got bruising, most likely from her time out in the deserts." Those were all things they could help her with. Extra portions at dinner, monitoring her water intake, and medical supplies to help her heal. But…
The emotional support she would need. They didn't know if they could help her, but no matter what. They would try.
"Let's rest up, we'll see what we can do for her tomorrow." Robin said. Then they began to head to their rooms.
"I'll hang back, monitor her some more just incase she wakes up." Then Cyborg walked back into the medical bay.
Robin nodded then looked to Logan.
"You said she was singled out by Slade?" He asked.
"Yeah, he was spouting off about him being the only one who could 'help' her, and that he would wait for her to come to him."
Robin growled. Still upset that Slade had taken him all that time ago. To make him his apprentice. But Logan looked at him, so his anger simmered down.
"We can't allow that to happen." Robin said.
"How?" Logan asked. He was curious what Robin would say after that statement. What would Robin and the team DO if Terra went to Slade willingly?
Robin knew Logan was asking the question for a reason. He didn't just ask 'how?' He wanted to know what him and the team were 'willing to do' to stop such a thing. But Robin already knew the answer.
"We'll do everything we can to support her. Give her everything that we have given to each other as a team. We'll show her that she can be a part of this family." He finally said.
Logan gave a sad smile, "I'd like you and the others to treat her, the way I treated you all. Be there, like a friend would, so she can open up. And heal."
Robin nodded, then made his way to his room to call it a night.
Logan looked through the window. Cyborg sat on a side couch, hooked himself to a portable charger. He put himself in a rest mode, just in case Terra woke up. Then fell asleep.
He looked at Terra lying in the bed. And the feeling he was getting, was sadness and regret. So he told himself and it, that he would put her on the right path. He would give her the help she really needed.
—-
Terra woke sometime in the late evening. She looked out the window, and could see the sun setting over the horizon. She heard a sink shut off, before cyborg exited what she thought was a bathroom.
"You're awake, how are you feeling?" Cyborg asked. He didn't want to smother her, so he kept a good distance away.
"… alright. I feel like a slept good."
That was good to hear, she got in a few quality hours of rest.
"I'll remove the monitors, so you can move around more freely." She nodded, then he took off the adhesive tape from her arms and upper chest. He worked slow and gently, so she didn't think he would hurt her.
When he was done, Terra lifted herself to a sitting position on the bed.
"Do you want to know?" He asked her. She looked at him confused. "How you're doing. It's nothing major."
She shrugged her shoulders, then nodded her head. Cyborg took a seat, then leaned back into the chair.
"You're dehydrated. I don't know how often you drink water, especially since you did a lot of traveling before you came to Jump. But don't worry about that, I gave you some liquid I.V. when you were resting, so drink more water and get some electrolytes in you when you head out."
She nodded, then Cyborg got a little serious.
"Now about your weight." She looked nervous and embarrassed, like he was going to call her fat. "You're underweight and pretty thin, I suggest you should eat more Terra. You're pretty tall for your age, if I guessed correctly." If she was alone, traveling from place to place, there might have been times when she didn't eat a meal.
She seemed to know what he was talking about.
"Where's Logan?" He didn't know, and there were more important things to talk about.
"He's not here right now." She deflated.
"You play basketball?" The question threw her for a loop. She had skipped school, so joining class sports never was an option for her. And she didn't remember ever playing with other kids when she was younger.
"No…" she said after a short time.
Cyborg smiled. "I think with your body frame, you'd be an excellent basketball player."
She stared at him, but there was a ghost of a smile on her lips. There was the old Terra coming out of her shell.
"You know how the game works?" She shook her head, so he continued. "There was a game on earlier today, and the sports channel is showing highlights. After that, the sports analysts are gonna spend hours talking about tomorrows game. How about you and me crash on the couch, and I'll explain how you play the game?" He asked hopeful.
"That sounds like… fun Cyborg."
He stood up, then offered his hand for her to get out of bed. She gave him a look. 'Like I need help getting out of bed.' But she took his hand and he lifted her up. She righted herself.
"Let's head over to the kitchen, I'm sure Logan and Starfire cooked something for lunch. I suggest you get a double helping, alright?"
"… yeah, sure doc."
They headed to the common room. All the while Cyborg told her about the grudge Jump City Jaguars had against the Steele City Rockets.
—-
"Friend Terra! You are awake!" Starfire flew over and gave Terra a strong squeeze. She started to choke a little, before she was let go.
"Do you need anything friend? The food, drink, another shower perhaps?" She bombarded the poor girl with questions.
"Where's Logan?" Terra asked. Starfire didn't know.
"Just something to eat and drink Starfire," Cyborg said. He tried to ignore her question.
"Of course friend, let me serve you the lunch that Logan and myself mad earlier." She then flew to the fridge and began removing things.
Hearing his name, Terra looked around the room but didn't see him. Cyborg noticed her looking for Logan, so he spoke up.
"Why don't you take a seat, Starfire will take care of you. I got to go tell Robin you're awake, he's been worried about you after last night." Her mood started to deflate, but he looked to Starfire to cheer her up. So he left the common room.
Terra was half way through her sandwich when the double doors swooshed open. She quickly looked over to see… Raven.
"Oh, hey Raven…" Seeing that she was disappointed, but not taking it personally, Raven decided to talk with her.
"Hi there Terra, how are you feeling?"
"Better, after a good nights rest and some food in me." She gave Starfire a side glance, as the girl placed a half sandwich on her plate.
"Have you seen Logan?" Terra asked, hopeful. Raven looked at her, then shook her head. Terra put her food down.
"… if your interested, you can join me in my meditation. I usually do it in the evening on top of the roof." Raven told her.
Terra didn't know what to say. Raven always seemed private, she'd seen the girl float away from her friends without saying so much as a goodbye. And now she was inviting her to… meditate.
"I… don't know how." She finally responded. Not exactly saying yes or no.
Sensing she was being overwhelmed and nervous, Raven spoke.
"If your ever interested, feel free to ask. Meditation has really helped me through the years. It's helped me find peace when I was lost and confused."
"Do you think I'm lost and confused," she asked the question with a glare. Raven realized she took offense to her words. Even Starfire was surprised at Terra's attitude shift. But Raven wouldn't be intimidated.
"Only you know how you truly feel. And you should do everything you can to better yourself, especially when others are there to help you along the way. It's your decision."
Terra's glare faded until it was gone. All that was left was a lost girl they found in the desert.
"… I'll think about it…"
Raven turned to the direction of the couch, book in hand.
*swoosh*
Everyone turned to Robin and Cyborg who just entered the common room. Robin pressed a few buttons on his Titan communicator, then headed to the kitchen. Cyborg joined Raven on the couch.
"Terra, I heard from Cyborg that you were up. We were worried. How are you feeling?"
"Is this some kind of game?" She asked angrily. Robin was surprised by her anger. Everyone was. Terra stood up from her chair.
"Why are you all asking how I'm doing? Why are you inviting me to watch basketball, and meditate, do you guys feel sorry for me? Where's Logan?!"
"No one feels sorry for you Terra. We want to help you, that's why we're asking you to do things with us." She was nervous and scared. They could tell.
"Where's Logan?" She asked again. She was closing in on herself.
"Friend Logan is not here right now Terra, please, sit and eat-"
"No, tell me where he is. I want to talk to him." Then she grew aggressive, and looked like she would run.
"Calm down Terra, everything is-"
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Terra's eyes began to softly glow, then they all started to feel the ground shake.
"Terra."
Everyone turned to the double doors, and Logan stood there. He stared at Terra. The tower stopped shaking.
"Logan!" Terra rocketed to Logan and hugged him. "Where were you, I was worried something happened to you?"
The others looked shocked that she had changed at the drop of a hat. She held tightly to him, looking up to his face, with eyes begging for an answer.
He slowly lifted his arms and loosely wrapped them around her. He gave her a smile. And she smiled too.
"You don't have to worry about that, cause I'm here now. I'm here for you."
Still smiling, her eyes began to shimmer. And she melted into him. Wrapped her arms around him, tightly, so he could never leave her. So he hugged her back, and placed his chin on her head. And for a moment, they were the only ones in the tower.
He pulled back from her, both ignoring the shocked and worried faces of the other four. He looked into her eyes, lost and broken, but still full of love. And he knew...
"Let's go Terra…"
That was all that needed to be said. And she was his. Her arms unwrapped themselves and her fingers found his, she turned to the others.
"Did you hear him? We're going!" She laughed. A happy laugh. Filled with joy and relief. She would go. Leave town again. But this time, she wouldn't be alone. Because…
She had Logan.
She pulled him to the double doors.
"Logan!"
"Where are you two going?!"
"Friends, what is happening?!"
"…"
But they were ignored, because Terra held onto his arm for dear life, he led her and they made their way to the garage. She laughed and told him about all the beaches she would take him to. About all the secret spots that she had no one to share with. And he led her inside the garage, to the T-Car.
They got inside, and Logan started the self driving feature Cyborg showed him when he built the car. He just finished pushing the start button, when Terra pulled him to the back seat, giggling. The underground garage opened, and the T-Car took off.
—-
The others didn't know what just happened. Logan watched her sleep in the early morning, and the others knew he was worried about her. He had his hand over hers, he wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words. He would space out, again and again… Robin, Starfire and Cyborg tried to comfort him. And Raven stayed in the back, quietly. But then he stood up, and headed out the door. They tried to call out to him, but he left the tower.
That was hours ago, and he didn't respond to his communicator, because it was off. So they waited, worried for the two. Until finally Terra woke up. And they did their best to help her, just like Logan would have. But they couldn't get her to see that they were her friends. That they would work just as hard as Logan to bring her into the Teen Titans, their family. But...
she just wanted Logan.
Then he returns to the tower, ignores them, then takes Terra with him.
Cyborg rubbed his eyes on the couch, this day was a rollercoaster. He'd been trying to connect with Terra, but a few words and kindness got her suspicious. Then all was lost.
Robin looked down at the communicator, both signals were lost for Logan's comm and the T-Car. He shoved it in his pocket, at a loss for what to do about Logan and Terra.
Starfire sat alone on the kitchen table. Terra's plate had fallen over the table, with its food toppled onto the floor. Bumped and knocked over when she raced to be with Logan. Starfire was sad and worried at Terra's behavior.
Raven had long ago fazed to her room. She didn't want to be with the others. She wanted to be alone.
'I'm here now. I'm here for you.'
His words to Terra was like a knife in her heart. She should have known something like this was coming, when he looked at her like that. Her dresser and bookshelf started to shake, as her eyes became misty.
—-
Terra's head was snuggled into Logan's shoulder, she stared at the beach in a happy daze. She had the most fun she ever had since… since she could remember. Logan… he was so sweet. He took her to places and sights that were unique to Jump City. They held hands, and he bought them snacks and drinks. When it was cold, he wrapped her in his arms and she was tempted to close her eyes and drift asleep. But she couldn't, because she wanted to be with him, every second of this magical day.
She held up her arm, and admired the charm he got her. A simple bronze bracelet, worth just a few dollars. But to her, it was diamond encrusted, a gold bracelet fit for... she giggled. A piece that represented his love for her.
There was no Slade. No Titans. Jump City or anything.
Just Logan and her.
"Terra… how do you feel?" He whispered into her hair, staring out to the ocean. She gave a small laugh, before looking up to his face.
"I feel great, like in dreaming." She said. "Did you plan all this when I was asleep?" She asked him with a grin.
"I did." He said
"Why?" She smiled dreamily, she hoped, and prayed... for those three magical words.
"Because I… I felt like I owed you this." He said.
She was confused, her eyebrows knitted together. She looked at him, not understanding what he meant. He looked away from the ocean, and down to her.
"… I've had this feeling… that I need to make up for something. Like I lost… someone. And even though I moved on… my heart keeps telling me…"
She looked at him, and he looked at her.
"I'm sorry Terra…"
*crunch* *crunch* *crunch*
"Terra Markov?"
Terra bolted up and looked around them.
She turned to a strange lady in a dark suit.
"W-What? Who are you?" Terra then began to stand up, she finally stood on her feet when Logan lifted both of them up.
"My name is Diana Prince, I'm with the Justice League. I've come here to take you to a place where you can get the help you need."
"NO! NO! NO! LOGAN STOP HER! She's trying to take me!"
But he didn't stop her, he held onto her. Not to protect her, but to keep her from running.
"Terra. It's going to be alright." She began to shake her head violently. "She's going to take you to somewhere safe. They'll help you, in a way that me and the others can't." She began to kick and scream. So he held her in his arms.
She couldn't stay with them, and she couldn't go to Slade. Leaving wouldn't help her, it would just keep hurting her until...
"NO!" Then her eyes began to glow… before they faded to her normal blue eyes. So she tried again. And again. But the earth around her wouldn't shift, wouldn't bend to her will. She began to have a panic attack, looking around her to figure out what was wrong. Then she noticed it…
The bracelet.
The 'gift' he'd gotten her.
And she screamed. Punched and kicked with all her fury. As sad and angry tears spilled from her face. And he held her. Took all her fury in his arms. Took every hit she gave him, and kept her from lashing out at the others.
"I LOVE YOU!" She screamed.
"I LOVE YOU!"
"I AH LOVE… Y-YOU! She was weakening. Her struggles were dying, but she kept fighting. She would tire herself out. She crashed her head into his chest, and cried more. So he hugged her and petted her hair.
"…love…you..." she whispered. He squeezed her.
"… I lo…" she said. He pulled back, cupping her cheeks to look in her eyes. He didn't know when he started crying, but he could still make out her face. He could still see the fear and betrayal. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, kissed her goodbye. He looked down into her eyes. Puffy and red. A lost soul that thought she found someone. Someone she could rely on… Someone she could LIVE for… He couldn't be that someone. She deserved better than that.
"… you lied to me…" she whispered.
And just like that, she gave up completely. And men he didn't know grabbed her from behind, and pulled her away. They carried her to a small Justice League aircraft. They opened it, and 'helped' her inside a gurney. He heard footsteps approach him.
"I'm very sorry for this, but it was the right thing to do."
He didn't say anything.
"There might be some part of you that regrets calling us… loved ones always believe they can help those that are suffering. But it's best to leave it to the professionals."
He just stood there.
"We'll take care of your girlfriend Mr. Logan, we'll reach out to you when she's in a more stable frame of mind."
He turned to her.
"Don't call… It's best that she forget about me."
Then he turned and walked back to the T-Car.
—-
He stood at the base of the tower, after sending the T-Car on autopilot to return to the garage. He looked up to the shining lights of the windows. The citizens would believe that the Teen Titans were up at every hour, watching and defending the city, but… they were still teenagers, well... some of them. They needed their rest. So even though the tower shown like a beacon, the hero's inside slept.
He made his way through the entrance, down the carpeted hallway that would go to the common room. He walked silently, doing his best to not alert the others. He passed the double doors, and the bathroom. He continued in front of the utility closet, and stopped at the guest room.
He looked at the plain door, with no name etched into it. He raised his hand and brushed the door, right where a name 'could' have been. But it didn't, and it would never have someone slumbering in its room.
'I made the right choice…'
'… you lied to me…'
'I couldn't help you… none of us could'
'… you lied to me…'
He lied to everyone, one way or another…
His arm fell, and he stepped away from the door. He turned, and headed down the hallway. Passed Cyborgs room, then passed Starfires. His legs began to sway, and he thought his knees might buckle. But he continued forward, passed Robins room. He stopped, and looked at his bedroom door.
Logan
He stood in the dark, with the moonlight cast through the windows. He reached forward, but had to remember his password. So he finally entered the code, and with a swoosh, the door opened. He walked in.
Just a bed. A dusty bed, that was never used. His shoes scraped along the tile floor, leaving footprints in the dust for the first time. He'd never once slept in this room. Since Cyborg first 'finished' the tower, and they were all assigned bedrooms. He slept everywhere but here.
The common room. The kitchen. The hallways. Outside the tower…
Everywhere but here, because it always felt like… he didn't belong… in here.
So he walked to the bed, and stood before it. He slowly climbed in, ignoring the dust that floated in the air from agitating the sheets. He laid on his back, and stared at a ceiling that was new to him… but also familiar. He closed his eyes.
He didn't sleep much that night