Music could still be heard pounding through the speakers even from outside the house, the party still going in full swing even with the late hour. The moon being the only source of light in the sky that could truly be seen as it illuminated the area below where a single girl sat on the porch. She was the only one that had wandered away from the crowd to search for a bit of peace and fresh air. The house with all those people made her feel cooped up and looking up into the night sky gave her an almost relaxing feel plus the outdoors a sense of freedom. The slam of a door caused the girl's attention to be drawn away from the inky black sky, her sky blue eyes now focused on the people that had come out to join her. A smile slipped slowly onto her features as she recognized the two individuals while the other two grinned brightly in return before plopping down next to her, one on each side.

"There you are! Do you realize how long we have been trying to find you?" one of the other ladies pouted before giving her blonde friend a nudge which only made the blonde's sky blue eyes roll.
"We thought you had ditched us here with out even giving a goodbye." the other added with a frown before continuing to speak. "What are you doing out here anyway when the party of the year is being thrown in there?"
"Sorry, guess I'm not in the partying mood is all. I think I am going to head out." she answered to them nervously, rubbing her arm lightly.
"What!? You can't be serious?"
"Are you sure? We can go with you if you want."
"Really, I'm sure. Go have fun and I will be fine. I don't want to ruin your guys fun time just because I want to head home." she stated, standing up from the porch and heading down the steps.
"Just be careful!"
Turning to face the two people she had come to think of as friends, she smiled to them while pushing some of her blonde locks behind her ear before replying, "I will, later you two!" She gave a wave before head off down the street at a leisurely pace, not worried about getting home anytime soon. It felt nice to walk around, the light breeze not to cold and with the moon lighting her way, there was no reason not to walk home.

But she was being watched. When she passed an alley there was a sound: footsteps, boots on concrete. A chilling voice from the girl's past spoke.
"Hello, Terra. How's my old apprentice doing? That was a nasty trick, dropping me into lava like that."

---

The young man had been silently tailing the blond for a week now, and his patience had been rewarded. For years he'd been compared to her, held to her unwavering standard. It was all going to end tonight: the flashbacks, the bad memories, the pain of not living up to his father's standards. He unclipped his weapon and prepared for the right moment.

The peaceful walk the girl was taking had stopped in an instant, the sound of footsteps were enough to know there was possible danger even if it was mild. The heavy boot falls on concrete already told her that it was probably a man but she had the upper hand by not being surprised if they were to attack. She continued past the alley way, pretending to ignore or not notice the noise, waiting for a good moment to turn around but her feet had frozen at the voice the spoke to her. The voice from a distant past that she had tried hard to forget, not wanting to be a part of that world anymore and giving everything up from it. She had finally gotten to the point where she thought she was free but apparently she was dead wrong.

Terra's hand curled into a fist as she turned to face the person that the voice belonged to, only knowing what she would find. "Slade." she spat out in anger maybe even shock and took a more defensive stance in her body language , not trusting if the man in front of her was alone or what kind of plan he was hatching. "How are you here?"

"A demon known as Trigon," Slade said. "He brought me back as a tool but betrayed me. Before he was defeated he turned everything alive into stone. And when he was defeated the effects were reversed... including to a certain scared little girl. And while the Titans were gone you carved a niche out for yourself in Jump City. And when Beast Boy and your brother came poking around, you played dumb. But I know better." He took a step closer, but stopped. A spear whistled past his head, and the moon ooutlined a figure on a nearby rooftop. "My, my. Seems to be someone else missed their teacher."

Terra stood silent as Slade filled in the blanks for her about how she was able to be reversed from turning into stone while saving the city. How he could still be alive after what had happened to him and clearly pointed out the fact that she had played dumb. She had never known the reason why she had come back but saw it as the perfect opportunity at a new life and one without the fear of her powers or what might happen every single day. She just wanted a normal life because even with the control she had gained with her powers, something bad always happened after she used them in one way or another and she still didn't have complete control.

The second the man took a step forward, Terra took a few steps back from the other and was startled slightly by a spear flying passed Slade head which in turn caused her to jump out of the projectiles way on instinct. She turned her gaze up to the nearby roof, making sure to keep Slade in her view as she looked to the shadowed figure. If this new figure was an apprentice of Slade's then neither of the two before her were to be trusted.

"Been a few years, pops," the young man growled. "When was it? Gotham City? Almost killed you then."
"Well, Sparta," Slade said, grabbing the hurled spear, "It's always nice to see you too. I suppose I could kill two birds with one stone."
"Don't bet on it," Sparta hissed. He drew a sword and shield. "I had a feeling you'd try to kill the girl you compared me to. As much as I dislike her, I hate you far more. For everything you did to my brother and me." He paused. "Terra, get out of the way. This is my fight."
"Yes be a dear, Terra, and get out of the way. Sparta's finished using you."

Terra glared darkly, her hands both curling into fists as the ground around her began to shake and cracks slowly splitting up the street. "Don't tell me what to do!" she yelled, her eyes flashing to yellow and her hands glowing just as the earth around her broke apart. She was tired of people using her and she could very well handle her own fights without someone stepping into it plus there was no way she was taking orders from either of them. Slamming her hands on the ground, a boulder formed under her feet to lift her up as the rest came up to swirl around her while others flew at the two enemies with deadly accuracy. Terra didn't let up, the earth trying to smash at them as she moved the boulder under her feet to fly at the rooftop Sparta was standing on while she simultaneously flipped off of the rock to land on another boulder and more dirt flying up to surround her in defense.

"Slade" was crushed by a boulder, revealing himself to be a robotic replica: a decoy to flush out the game. Sparta ducked behind his shield, and quickly lunged at Terra. "Stop it!" he ordered. "I'm not your enemy. That bastard father of mine is. We're in the sameboat: Slade used us, and when we were of no use, he tried to destroy us!" He paused. "Slade already killed my brother. I'm not gonna let him hurt anyone else."

She felt even more frustrated at seeing the smashed remains of a robotic replica which only meant they had been had. Terra knew that she should have known better but she was so wound up with wanting to keep her normal life that she didn't see what was so clearly obvious. She then focused her full attention on the remaining person she viewed as an enemy in that moment and quickly jumped back at the lunged toward her. Terra didn't stop at hearing his words at first, continuing her attack but everything stilled in mid air as he spoke his last sentence. The rubble falling to the ground around her as her eyes slowly shifted to their normal sky blue and she land on the roof. "Do you really mean everything you said?" she asked, pausing nervously before continuing,"Did he really kill your brother?"

"Slade is my father," Sparta confirmed. He bit his lip. "I had two brothers - Jericho and Draco. Jericho was the lucky one; before Slade turned his sights on you and Robin, he was training us to fight... to kill. He altered our DNA to make us stronger and faster than a normal human. It was when Slade decided to focus his efforts on the Titans that he abandoned Draco and me.

"It was shortly after Trigon's defeat," he continued, "that Slade took us in again. We weren't exactly happy to see daddy dearest and Draco and I fought back. To put me in my place, Slade killed my little brother, his own son, and called it collateral damage."

"I am truly sorry you lost your brother. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose someone so important." Terra replied after hearing his story and what happened to him after Trigon. What had happened to him already long before Slade had found her and had been watching her. She couldn't image what it was like to be born with Slade as a father but she knew what it was like to have your very being altered. It was enough to make her run away from home and it was also one of the main reasons she had hidden once she had awakened. "What should we do now? We both know he won't stop."

Sparta started walking away. "Do what you want," he said. "I'm going to keep looking for Slade. And when I find him... I'm going to repay him for everything he's done to me... and to everyone else." He paused. "Do you know how dangerous someone is when they have nothing left to live for, Terra? They have nothing to save themselves for in this world, so they can be as reckless as they want. I'm one of those people, Terra. If you become my enemy, I'll let you live. I only wish to take one life, and it is certainly not yours."

"I know how dangerous a person can be when they have nothing to live for and with no one truly by their side. I also know that a person is even more powerful when they have something to care for or protect. It gives the strength to fight on without stop and do things we thought impossible with no fear of death as long as the other lives on." Terra spoke seriously in return. She remembered having nothing. Having no family, then no friends, and losing the first person she had ever started to care about. She thought Slade needed her and fought for at least that but found that she hadn't even had that, all of it a lie. No one needed or wanted her but then she chose to protect her friends even if they hated her even if it lead to death...if they could just be safe that was all she needed. It had been in that moment that she had become the most powerful. It meant nothing to be alone or fight for no purpose. "I won't become your enemy. Slade is enough of an enemy without adding more into the mix."

---

Sparta pondered her words silently. "Slade will use you and then throw you away," he said. "I know this for a fact. When that suit didn't interface with my nervous system, he viewed me as a liability, so he tried to kill me. But... we have a common enemy, Terra. Perhaps we can work together?"

Terra thought about his proposal for a moment and thought about what could happen. It wasn't like she wanted to turn it down but this would be her own first steps at giving up the life she wanted away from all the fighting and powers. What if anyone else found out she was back? What if she didn't join Sparta and Slade got a hold of her? Slade had already proved that the suit could interface with her body and this time Slade would probably make it more powerful so the mishap of last time didn't accrue. Terra would rather be herself and fight then end up a mindless puppet to be thrown away. "I think we should work together to fight."

Sparta nodded. "It's not safe to say anything else here," he said. "If you wish to know more, come with me. We can poan somewhere."

Terra nodded in understanding about how this wouldn't be the safest place to be talking. The old saying, the walls have ears could be very true when going up against Slade. "Lead the way and I will follow." She replied.

"Keep up," Sparta said simply. He activated his newest toys-- nano gloves-- and charged a wall. The gloves allowed him to hang on, as if it were a blanket, and he was quickly going from rooftop to rooftop. He was almost supernaturally fast, although he knew he couldn't compare to Flash, Kid Flash, or Superman.

"Right." Terra answered, waiting for him to take his lead. Once he speed off, startled at the quickness, she flipped off the roof as the rubble raised to build a platform before she jetted off at high speed after Sparta. The last thing she wanted to do was lose him from sight and not get some of the answers she had been desperately craving. Terra also knew that she had not been wrong earlier that they would be stronger together than trying to fight apart. Slade would do as he did tonight and try to pin them against each other if they did split from each other.