The sun shines bright; a vast contrast to the darkness of the Brotherhood of Evil's base. For the first time in a while, the six of us are walking through the city with no intentions whatsoever. There's no villain we're obligated to stop—we're just enjoying Jump City and the company that comes with it.
"Our city is the greatest city ever."
I turn to Beast Boy and quirk an eyebrow playfully. "I'm glad you think so."
"Paris was pretty great, don't you think?" Cyborg points out from behind.
Raven frowns. "Paris?"
"Once we made those Brotherhood of Evil freeze-sicles."
"I've got to agree with Beast Boy," Robin states. His voice has a unique calmness that I've not heard from him in a long time, but I definitely like it. "It sure is good to finally be back home."
"I, too, have missed our glorious city." Starfire shoots us all a giddy smile as she takes to the skies, twirling in the air as we walk up to the video store. "I cannot wait to rent the videos and feast on the worms of sour gumminess."
I grin from behind. "Sounds good."
Suddenly, she stops in her tracks with a silent gasp. "The worms are gone!" she states sadly.
Beast Boy smiles, sensing a moment where he can be a hero. "Come on, Star, Marlene's Candy Store is just around the corner. It's got the best peanut butter squares in town."
He grabs the alien princess by the hand, not giving her a chance to react before leading her around the corner and out of my sight. I traipse towards the now-closed store, where planks of wood barricade the doors and windows for anyone who can't read the sign on the door. Its usual neon blue lights have been switched off, confirming the store is shut for good.
"My peanut butter squares are gone!"
Beast Boy's desperate whines prompt the other Titans to round the corner with me, and I look up at the giant building—or building to-be—in front of me. Standing before the shapeshifter and his companion is a large construction site that stretches the entire block and doesn't look close to completion. At all.
"The whole block is gone." Cyborg states the obvious, glancing to the nearest Titan—Robin. "They're building a new office complex."
"Things sure have changed. Guess we've been away longer than we thought."
"Where am I gonna buy my books?"
The shapeshifter shoots Raven a sideways glance. "I don't remember any bookstore."
"That's because you never bought a book."
"And the auto parts shop that was next to the bookstore is gone, too," Cyborg adds.
"I remember there used to be a toy shop, or was it a barbershop?" Beast Boy taps his chin. "I distinctly remember it was some kind of shop."
"That narrows it down."
I think back to the last time I was in this part of the city. Raven, Starfire and I had a girls' night of sorts, and near the end, we broke apart and went into different stores. Raven chose the book store, Starfire the video store, and I walked into—
"The Music Store!"
At my abrupt exclamation, everyone turns to me with confused looks plastered on all their faces. I furrow my eyebrows, narrow my eyes ever so slightly, and gesture to the construction site in front of us.
"AJ's Music Store. It was on this block, too."
"I remember." Starfire floats in the air towards the bricks. "It was over there, yes?"
Behind the redhead, two red dots suddenly appear in the assortment of bricks. A gust of wind acts under my influence to carry Starfire to safety before she can be harmed, and the creature—who was seemingly camouflaged amongst the bricks—reveals itself.
"I definitely don't remember that being there!" Cyborg yelps.
"Titans! Go!"
The six of us charge as the creature continues attacking the redhead. Robin runs forward and launches himself for a flying kick, but it catches his foot and throws him towards Raven, sending them both back. Beast Boy turns into a dinosaur and tramples the white monster; they engage in some kind of wrestle before the green teen's thrown away too.
I hover in the air, and several fiery rocks surround me. As I push my hands forward, they fly towards the creature at intense speeds, but only some of them stick. It turns towards me and sticks its hand out, but I avoid it by flying back. It takes Starfire being thrown into me for us both to lose our balance and tumble backward.
Cyborg runs forward in a fit of anger at the sight of the creature defeating all of his friends. He lands three or four punches, but it picks up a girder and whacks the teen with it. As it does so, it turns grey and demonstrates its camouflaging abilities.
Beast Boy flies in as a falcon, before turning into an elephant to knock it over. The white monster tumbles and lands in wet concrete, before turning grey once more and shooting the setting liquid at the green elephant. Beast Boy struggles as the concrete dries but I pull it off him as Raven takes care of the creature.
I help Beast Boy up as we surround the creature in the rain, induced by the fire hydrant. I hold my hand out to stop it but it's too late; the white monster's already in the sewers. Robin jumps in, then Starfire and Raven. Cyborg blocks the entrance as he mutters, "Why does it always have to be the sewer?" before jumping in himself.
I stare down at the opening, holding Beast Boy by the arm. He wriggles out of my grip softly and begins to walk off. This piques my attention, and I turn to him expectantly—with his back turned, the Titan has no way of knowing this.
"Uh, Gar?"
I look both ways before using Beast Boy's real name, and he freezes in place before turning around. As he stares at me, I realise how unfair it was to call him by that name—he must think something's gone horribly wrong. To make up for it, I hide my wince with a silent apology and point towards the sewer.
"It went this way."
"I know." Beast Boy's reply is breathless. Absent. Almost as if he's waiting for something or someone. "I have to go. I'll explain later."
Without elaborating further, the green teen turns into a falcon and cuts through the air. My eyes flicker white for a fraction of a second before I place my trust in the Titan—both to know what he's doing is the right thing and to tell me later. In the meantime, I jump into the sewer and hastily catch up to the others.
~~~
Cyborg shivers loudly, teeth clattering, as the five of us enter the main room after the sewer escapade. Having already dried myself, I allow my eyes to turn blue and pull the sewer water from the others into the air, before removing it in the kitchen sink.
"Next time a creature goes down the sewer, I say we just let it go."
I glance up at the mechanic teen. "I second that."
I look up to see Beast Boy at the Titan computer. His expression is of sheer focus, but I can barely see it until he turns around and contorts it into a grin. In response, he receives four dirty glares.
"Beast Boy, where were you?" Robin spits.
"You guys aren't gonna believe this!"
Cyborg raises an eyebrow. "You better have a good reason on bailing on us."
The Boy Wonder crosses his arms over his chest. "What was so important that you couldn't stay with the team?"
"We could have used your assistance," Starfire pipes up.
"Well?"
Unable to hold it in any longer, Beast Boy exclaims, "I saw Terra!"
My eyes widen and I'm unable to hide my shock. Of all the things I had thought about during the pursuit of the creature, Terra being alive and in the city was definitely not one of them. Last I had seen her, the blonde girl had been turned to stone in an active volcano, having sacrificed herself for all of us. It seems unlikely she is alive—or would want to be back.
"I know! Isn't it great? I-I saw her downtown!"
"What happened?" I ask. "What did she say to you?"
"I didn't actually get to talk to her," Beast Boy admits. "She was across the street, a-and when the creature attacked, she disappeared."
"You sure it was her?" the half-demon questions.
"Oh, I'm totally sure."
"Maybe you just thought you saw her."
"It happens," I say, adding to Cyborg's words.
Robin walks forward to address the shapeshifter, both boys' expressions pulled into frowns. "Sometimes, you want to see something that isn't there."
"I did see her! She was real, a-and her statue is gone!"
"How could it be?" the robotic Titan questions. "The girl turned to stone!"
"Perhaps one of Raven's spells?"
Raven shakes her head at Starfire. "I tried everything I could. Nothing worked."
"I couldn't do anything, either," I state, frowning.
Technically speaking, it isn't true. I could have done something. The problem is, when I offered my assistance, Terra declined—and look where it got her. A tiny part of me is thankful she spared me of that fate, but when I think about it I'm mostly wondering if she'd still be alive, had I persisted hard enough.
Cyborg shakes his head. "And none of my chemical analyses ever led to an answer either. None of this is making sense."
"It doesn't have to make sense," Beast Boy pleads. "Terra's back. That's all that matters."
The alarms begin to blare and the room turns red. The television screen flickers on to show a map of Jump City, and a radius appears in purple within its confines. I step forward, observing the panel, before concluding, "The camouflager. Again."
Robin scrutinises Beast Boy. "We'll talk about this later."
The green teen leans forward aggressively; something I've come to learn is a bad thing. "You may not care about her, but Terra's out there somewhere," he snaps in the Boy Wonder's face. "And I'm gonna find her."
Without leaving time for a rebuttal on the black haired boy's behalf, Beast Boy walks off, leaving the five of us to tackle this threat without him. I sigh, knowing he needs to do this for himself, before moving out with the team.
~~~
The scorching heat of the sun blares down as our quintet searches the city for the white monster. Though I can't feel the intense heat, I can see it on each of the Titans—apart from Starfire—as their foreheads ball with sweat and their pace begins to lag. I begin to admire their persistence as they don't let it stop them, so not a moment is wasted in our search.
From the top of a small pile of debris, Cyborg looks down at his forearm scanner. "I don't know what to scan for," he admits, drawing us towards him. "Brick, metal, concrete. It could be anything."
Raven steps forward, closing her eyes and holding her forehead softly. "I'm not able to sense it either," she notes, turning back to us. "I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I wish Beast Boy were here. Maybe he could follow the scent."
Robin's chest rises and falls in an uneven pattern; another indicator of the heat's effect. "We've just gotta keep looking," he tells us, turning and walking towards an alleyway and leaving the four of us to follow.
"I am concerned for Beast Boy," Starfire states. "Do you think Terra truly has returned?"
I shrug. "It's not impossible, I guess." After another second, I add, "I trust Beast Boy."
And I do. It's all thanks to him that we were able to bring down the Brotherhood, and putting that aside, he's had excellent judgement most of the time—I consider Terra an exception, given what she put us through. That being said, I have confidence he's matured since then and learnt more about the world and the people in it.
"But how?"
"Maybe she freed herself," Robin voices from behind, opening our conversation up to the others.
"Or there coulda been an earthquake while we were gone," Cyborg adds.
I narrow my eyes. "Wouldn't we have heard about that, though? They might have called me in to stop it."
"Unless they figured that you wouldn't be able to make it back in time," Robin counters, "but all the same, I doubt it."
"Maybe the effect just wore off," the cloaked girl says.
Starfire considers these answers. "If she is back," she questions next, "why would she not locate us?"
"Last time we saw her, she wasn't exactly one of the good guys," Raven reminisces. "Maybe she didn't want to be found."
Our group begins to walk away, but I get a lingering feeling that we're being watched. Quickly, I turn around, but there's not even a hint of a retreating shadow. I continue watching over my shoulder for a few more moments before finally resigning to the fact that there's no one. I turn back around before trudging onwards to catch up with the others again.
~~~
From the rooftops, Cyborg watches the buildings on the other side of the street with intent. Robin, Starfire, Raven, and myself soon join him just as he slams his fist onto the ledge in front of him—from the impact, a flower blooms through the receding cracks.
"Every time we catch up to it, it vanishes before our eyes!" he barks.
"Are we supposed to wait for it to reappear?" Raven questions.
"The thing is out to destroy everything," Robin argues passionately. "It's not stopping, and neither are we."
A crashing sound bounces across the skyscrapers before hitting my ears, and I look down anxiously to see a car thrown across the street. Starfire flies down and peers over the edge, watching the one spot where my view is obstructed thanks to the building in my way.
"There it is!"
After her loud exclamation, it doesn't take long for the five of us to spring into action and run after the creature—hours of pent up energy does that to a person—and we soon are within firing range. At once, a collection of birdarangs, flaming rocks, and energy beams of all varieties are flung at the criminal.
Once again, we all turn a corner. The creature seems cornered, but it breaks. through the blue wall ahead and continues running away from us. I grit my teeth and take to the skies, hurling rocks at the creature as it lands at the top of the dam.
"Not so fast!"
Shots of black energy shoot from the dam's base to accompany the half-demon's shout, and she is cautious not to break the structure. The third blast sends the monster flying forwards until it slides through the ground harshly.
My own eyes develop a brown hue as I hover in the air, and the rocks around the creature shake as it becomes trapped by it. A rogue star bolt from the alien princess beside me, sets it free and it runs away once more.
"There's nowhere for you to hide!"
The creature cranes its neck and cocks its head slightly before entering the recycle centre, slamming the doors shut behind it. Cyborg backs up, and his sonic cannon morphs into another weapon to use. I turn my body sideways and kick the door open with all the momentum the wind can muster.
I pant slightly as the others rush in, and we all look around. "Where did it go?"
"It's hidden again," Robin muses. "Split up and find it."
Without giving any warning, the Boy Wonder dashes to the left. Still watching his retreating figure, I begin to walk to the right, and soon my gaze settles on my surroundings in hopes that one of us will find this creature so we can finally go home. Some part of me, however, knows it won't be that easy. It won't go down without a fight.
My eyes change to white and the crates around me lift up in unison. I rotate my body slowly to scour the area, but find nothing. Everything looks exactly as it did before, and the monotony of the recycle centre stands out as I drop the boxes with a huff.
I purse my lips and am about to turn around when the sound of rustling piques my attention. Once more, I whip around, only to see a small rat scurrying across the floor and away from me. I pinch the space between my eyes and sigh as fatigue begins to set in.
"Guys!"
My eyes snap open—I don't even recall closing them—as I listen to Cyborg's voice, laced with urgency. As I move towards his voice, I can guess what he's about to tell us.
"I think I found it!"
The creature stands on top of the conveyor belt, staring down at us. From the side, Cyborg runs at it and repeatedly throws punches that all find homes. I watch as with one punch, the white monster throws the Titan back.
My eyes turn white and a gust of wind picks Cyborg up, bringing him out of danger just as the creature prepares the knockout blow. I don't bother to check on the robotic teen, knowing he'll be okay and fight back, and help the Boy Wonder as his grappling hook wraps around the creature's punching arm.
I jump up and both my feet find the creature's chest. We're both sent into a hopper full to the brim of aluminium cans, and my hands turn to fire as I hold the monster down.
"Hey, Starfire, little help! Get me down from here!"
I make the mistake of looking up to see Cyborg attached to a magnet on the roof. Starfire's gaze wanders to the Titan too, and she flies up towards him. Just as I turn my attention back to the creature, both its hands meet my jaw in one motion and I'm sent flying through the air. I land on the floor with a crash and a low groan escapes my lips as I rub the back of my neck.
I'm able to look up just as Robin is tumbles through the air in another direction, and hold my hand out to let him down softly. He nods at me and a smile finds its way to his face.
An entire hopper turns black, and is lifted up under Raven's influence. As she pulls her hands down, it slides across the ground and hits a barrel of oil with flames shooting through the top. The creature—now the sleek black of the oil underneath it—stands before Cyborg and Starfire. The former shoots his sonic cannon in a rapid fire, but holes appear in its skin. Eventually, the barrel behind it is shot and it takes on the form of fire.
Flames pool in my hands and I launch myself at the fiery monster, holding it by the neck as its back hits the wall. I'm quickly overpowered by its strength, as it throws me to the ground and punches me in the chest.
I cough a few times to regain my breath before shooting pellets of water at the creature. Where it lands, the fire dims, and as I distract it with these tiny shots a flood of water pours over it. This makes it turn blue and take a liquid form, opting to swim around the floor and make it harder for us.
"We need Beast Boy," Robin says. He yanks his communicator from his utility belt and opens it. "Come in, Beast Boy! We need your help!"
There's a few seconds of nothing, and then Beast Boy's saddened voice. "Beast Boy to Robin. I'm on my way. Over."
~~~
I sigh loudly and smack my head down on the keyboard. The second we got home, I had hidden myself in the computer room to conduct background research on Terra—just as Robin and I had done when we were first introduced to the blonde girl. The door's locked in case someone tries to walk in, and I've already had to assure Cyborg that I can be trusted behind it.
My hot cocoa—now ice-cold—sits untouched beside me as my eyes remains locked on the screen. My hand begins to cramp from clicking the mouse so frequently and frantically, but I've continued nonetheless. Every now and then, my gaze wanders to the doors as the feeling of paranoia that someone will walk in resurfaces.
It takes two hours of undivided attention and research to find something remotely useful.
My eyes widen from behind my first sip of the beverage and I slowly set it down, cautious not to spill it all over the technology in front of me. My right hand's harsh grip on the mouse loosens before letting go completely, and I clear my throat. The answer was literally right in front of me this whole time.
Just to make sure, I pull up one more website and the security cameras Cyborg installed when Terra was calcified. I go back approximately one year and stare at the footage, watching as the girl is reverted to her human form as everyone else on the world, all previously turned in stone, do the same upon Trigon's defeat.
I'm already logging out of the computer, body in autopilot. The chair is pushed in and I stare at the room for a few moments longer before finally turning and walking out. I'm lead towards the main room, where I know the other Titans will be relaxing after a long day. Where I should be.
The doors open right before I slam into them, saving me from a blood nose and an owed explanation to my friends. They don't notice me at first, giving me time to watch each of them.
On the couch are Cyborg and Beast Boy, with expressions of sheer determination and tight grips on the controllers in each of their hands. A racing game shows on the TV, with one blue character and one green—I can guess which is which. When Beast Boy finally emerges victorious, he turns into a monkey and begins to dance around an unimpressed Cyborg, who crosses his arms over his chest and grumbles something under his breath.
Predictably, Raven's reading from beside the two boys, hood down and hair tucked behind one ear. As I watch her, she glances up at them and a vein visibly throbs in her forehead at the commotion they're making. Her eyes narrow to slits before she finally turns back to the novel in her hand.
Starfire stands in the kitchen, concocting her next Tamaranean dish. Her entire focus rests with the food, so her alien senses haven't picked up on a seventh presence inside the room—behind her, watching intently is Silkie, whose eyes are closing further with every second. Soft snores shake the bench slightly, and the alien princess looks behind her a couple of times, expression soft.
My eyes lock on Beast Boy again, and I take a few steps forward. I breathe out and ready myself to tell him what really happened to Terra and how she came to return, but before I can, a hand is slung around my shoulders and a rough kiss is planted on my cheeks. I turn to look at Robin with a smile on my face, and everything changes.
The shapeshifter finally ceases his lengthy celebration and sits down beside Cyborg once more, a giddy smile on his face. Before the game resumes, he glances at me and waves in the most enthusiastic way possible. I offer a meek wave back, and instantly know I can't burst that bubble. Not today.
Things have changed so much. From the little things—such as the closure of Marlene's Candy Store—to the bigger ones—such as my father not being around anymore, or the new nature of my relationship with Robin—almost nothing seems to be the same anymore. Only one thing seems to be constant, and that's my friends. For the past five years, they've been here for me no matter what, and I've tried to do the same for them.
"You okay?"
Robin's voice breaks me out of my trance. I glance up at him and my hand moves up to meet his, still on my shoulder. I feel my features forming a tired expression, but I don't try to hide it. His grip on me tightens and brows furrow in concern, but I shake my head and hopefully with it, his worries.
"Yeah," I breathe. "Yeah, I'm fine."
And it's true. I lean into the Boy Wonder's embrace and sigh. Things may change, but if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that my family—my true family—will remain the same.
Season Five's done!! Hope you enjoyed :)
I'm thinking the plan after this is Trouble in Tokyo, which I'll split up into parts based on the plot and how much I end up writing, and then an epilogue—maybe. If I get too attached, I might also try my hand at the crossover. If any of you have ideas as to what I should do, please let me know!