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Together.

It had been a whirlwind of emotion and of events and now -- the nightmare was finally over. Terra looked around the crowd gathered around the well. Some of the faces were new, some she’d known for almost a year now. Some -- and Terra spared a glance at the intent green face beside her -- some she’d known even longer.

Stefan stood on the edge of the well. It was hard to read emotion on his scarred face, but his exhaustion was clear. “As promised,” he said. “In return to your help in freeing our world from tyrannical control, we now return the favour with your own freedom. The war machine has been reengineered. In approximately five minutes it will be activated, sending you back to your respective worlds. President Beth Yao is here personally to see you off--” And Terra craned her neck to see the diminutive woman flanked by guards, standing strong and proud in her new role --”But the president feels that you wish to spend your last moments on goodbyes. I will leave you to it.”

The buzz of excitement that followed was bittersweet. Although no-one could deny looking forward to leaving Haven, saying goodbye to the friends they’d made in the city was hard. They’d known it was coming, but now the moment was upon them … Watching the (often tearful) goodbyes taking place around her, Terra couldn’t help but feel a lump welling up in her throat. She didn’t even know where to start--

She started as Beast Boy grabbed her hand. “We’re going home,” he said. “Together.”

It was cheesy beyond belief and totally unnecessary, but Terra found herself smiling through the overwhelming emotion all the same. “I guess we are.”

Beast Boy’s answering smile was honestly happy, and Terra realized she felt better without knowing why.

Around them, the crowd started to thin. One by one people vanished. It was sudden, some people vanishing mid-word or mid-embrace, and Terra squeezed Beast Boy’s hand as she steeled herself for the moment.

Which never came.

The crowd had shrunk to about 20. Those remaining looked at each other and then around themselves, obviously wondering what had happened. It was sort of like waiting for popcorn to stop popping. You could never be quite sure if it was done or if you gave it another ten seconds, one more kernel would burst …

“Hey, what gives? Shouldn’t we be home by now?”

So Kon had never exactly been good at waiting, but Terra was grateful that she didn’t have to be the one asking that question.

“We were afraid of this.”

“Of this?” Beast Boy probably didn’t intend for that exclamation to be so squeaky. “What do you mean? You promised to send us home--”

“I am very sorry,” Beth said. Although new to her role as President, she had a quiet authority that got attention, despite the alarm spreading through the remaining travellers. “When working on reverse engineering my father’s war machine, we discovered that he had been draining life-energy directly from other universes to power his experiments and weaponry. Those whose universes still exist have been sent home. If you are still here, I am afraid it means -- that you do not have a home to return to.”

“No--”

Terra didn’t know whose voice that was, but the shock and disbelief it registered were felt all around her. They’d suffered so much, sacrificed so much, tried so hard -- and this was their reward? Granted the only friend she had to go back to in her world was standing right beside her, but she didn’t need to glance at Beast Boy to know how devastated he was.

An entire world. Their entire world --

Gone.

She could recognise the complaining voice as the young Robin, but what he was saying didn’t register. She was more concerned with Beast Boy’s obvious distress.

“Isn’t there anything we can do--”

“Stand back! Do not approach the President--”

“Stand down,” Beth ordered her guards crisply. “They have every right to be distressed.” She faced the remaining Havenites with sorrow clear in her face. “You have our utmost sympathy,” she said frankly. “And our regret. This is no way to repay the service you have given us or the trials you have undergone for the sake of this world. You have my word that you will not be forgotten, that we will do our best to do right by you. You may ask to be sent to the world of one of your friends who departed successfully, although they will not remember you, and you must find your own way once you are there. Or you may choose to remain here and help us rebuild our shattered world. You will be welcomed, given all the assistance you require in making a new life for yourself. Unfortunately, as time passes, the abilities you brought from your home realities will fade and you will be as any citizen of this world.”

Normal! Terra couldn’t help the way her heart leapt at that. She immediately felt guilty, knowing that for those around her, Beth’s offer was not a dream come true but a terrible loss.

“You’ll want time to come to terms with your loss, time to discuss amongst yourselves what choices you will make. I will leave a representative here to answer any questions and when you have made your mind up, to inform us of your choices.” Beth bowed low. After a moment, the guards and Stefan did the same.





“What are we supposed to do? Go crash Conner’s universe? They’ll never believe we’re who we say we are -- face it, we have no proof and the whole thing sounds totally improbable--”

“We don’t have to introduce ourselves,” Red Hood said bluntly. The five remaining from the superhero worlds had gathered in the school to watch Red Hood and Kon argue. “They don’t even have to know we’re there.”

“A bit hard to hide don’t you think? Conner and I are identical. And Beast Boy--”

“The clone makes a valid point. Not all of us are capable of blending in.” The fifth Robin added smugly. He had thrown a spectacular tantrum at the news but Red Hood had taken him aside. No one had any idea what had passed between them, but a truce seemed to have been called, plans made and no limbs were lost, so … win?

“Not all of us need to come with,” Red Hood added.

“What -- you guys are ditching us?”

“We’re not a team. We’ve never been a team,” Red Hood reminded Kon and Beast Boy sternly. “Fact is, we can do a lot more in their world making sure that history doesn’t repeat then we can do in this one.”

“You got it all sorted out.” What was that note in Kon’s voice? Terra glanced at him, but for once couldn’t see what the clone was thinking.

Red Hood shrugged. “You can come with or not. Your call. As for us -- I think I’m ready to blow this joint. Kid, you coming?”

Watching the two of them leave without even a backward glance made the whole thing even more real. Terra glanced again at Beast Boy. She knew that he could be serious when the moment called for it, but seeing him this quiet was … alarming. “Beast Boy? What are you thinking of doing?”

“Thinking of crashing with Deadpool? He’s got the superhero thing going, and you’d still have powers in his world,” Kon said, looking over to them.

But Beast Boy shook his head. “No,” he said. “I’m thinking of staying here.”

“You are?” Terra couldn’t help but sound incredulous. “But--”

Beast Boy held up a hand to forestall her. “The way I see it,” he said. “This world still needs all the heroes it can get, right? The rebuilding … it’s gonna take time. And let’s face it even though Beth and Stefan are nice and not rubbing it in our faces, we kind of left them a lot of mess … I figure it’s the right thing to do.”

“You’re okay giving up your powers? Just -- like that?” Kon sounded uncertain.

Beast Boy found Terra’s hand. “You know how they always say you don’t need powers to be a hero or to know how to do the right thing? I figure there’s a reason for it. Also Terra -- you want to stay, right?”

Terra took her hand away. “You don’t have to do this because of me,” she said.

Beast Boy crossed his arms as he shook his head. “I’m not doing this because I have to. I’m doing this because I want to -- because of you. I --”

The sentence got lost in the hug Terra gave him. When they pulled apart, Kon was giving them a bemused look.

Embarrassed, Terra tucked her hair out of her face. “I’m kind of surprised you don’t want to go to Conner’s world. You guys are so close.”

“Yeah. Close here -- where we could both be Superboy. I’m -- I keep thinking what if he doesn’t like me this time round? I mean, I show up in his world, natural reaction is I’m there to replace him … I don’t think I could deal with that.” Kon sighed. “Maybe I’m just being stupid. But I figure I’ll hang here with you guys while I make up my mind. Maybe I can get to play ball with Analisa after all.”





Time passed in a virtual whirlwind. A surprising amount of the Havenites elected to stay, rebuilding the world around them. There was not much time to grieve friends lost, worlds erased. Terra learned how to help build houses, navigate for Kon as he drove a truck of medical supplies down ruined roads, Beast Boy -- now Gar -- sprawled out asleep in the back seat, or address a crowd of concerned and wary citizens not sure whether they could trust the new president.

She didn’t thrive in the spotlight, like Kon did, or know how to make people laugh with a joke or exaggerated reaction like Gar could, but Terra’s quiet certainty in their mission won them support and it was often her who discussed the broader situation with the leaders of the community while Gar was quizzed on his green skin and Kon was roped into playing the game of choice by the children of whatever community they were in. It was a strange sort of existence, going from one tiny place to another, checking in with the people and finding out what they were lacking and radioing back to Central with their needs. They’d picked up enough basic maintenance knowledge that they could assist with repairs, while their supplies were welcomed wherever they went.

They were in a tiny village, way out in what had once been a farming community and was now mostly wasteland, in a house that had been lent to them while they waited orders from Central. Kon had managed to get the generator working again, and was now happily poking about under the sink, playing plumber.

Terra watched him work as she mapped out their next route. “I still can’t get over the fact that you’re actually good at this.”

“No one ever believes me when I say I was a building super,” Kon complained still half in the cupboard. “I mean, is it that unbelievable?”

“You want an honest answer?” Terra teased. But when Kon stuck his head out of the cupboard to glare at her, he found her considering him seriously. “Do you want to do this? I mean, as a job. When this is over, I mean.”

“It’s not going to be over for a really long time.”

“I know,” Terra said. “But I’ve been thinking. We can already see improvements. There’s new plant life growing and its spreading everywhere. The first villages we visited, they’re able to send supplies to their neighbours now.”

“You mean we’re putting ourselves out of a job?” Beast Boy paused in front of the soup he was making. He’d commandeered control of the food situation, and Terra found herself getting accustomed to a vegetarian diet with surprising ease. They’d neglected to tell Kon that he was now only eating vegetables, and the living situation went smoothly as a result.

“Well, you know we’re not going to be doing this forever,” Terra pointed out. “I don’t know. Watching Kon, it just popped into my head that one day … one day we’re going to have to get jobs and pick careers and that.”

Beast Boy considered Kon as he levered himself out of the sink cupboard. “You know, you’re right. I can totally see you being good at plumbing or carpentry or anything where you know, you have to work with your hands. You are surprisingly good at the spending endless amounts of time fiddling with things.”

But Kon shook his head. “Don’t laugh,” he said. “But I think I want to be a kindergarten teacher. You know, with the really little kids. Naptime and stuff like that.”

Terra couldn’t help it, she snorted. “Giving into the inevitable?” She teased. “You know, wherever we go, the little kids hone in on you like a magnet. You may as well put that to use.”

“What about you guys? Gar’s easy -- planning on opening up a burger chain or something like that?”

“While I will one day perfect the bean burger to end all bean burgers,” Gar said crossing his arms over his chest and nodding firmly, “I was actually thinking of studying.”

“Studying?”

“To become a vet.”

Kon whistled. “That’s gonna take a lot of work.”

“And being a teacher isn’t? You realise that falling asleep on the job is not in fact a qualification--”

“You can do it,” Terra told Gar earnestly. “I bet you’ll be great at it.”

He coloured. It was interesting. His skin was beginning to lose its green tinge, and when he blushed the pink was more pronounced. They were even becoming able to see freckles on his cheeks. “Really? Uh -- what about you, Terra? Do you have plans?”

Terra shook her head. “I’m still making up my mind,” she said. “And -- I like that.” She could feel herself blush, ducking her head down so that her hair fell across her face. “I really like maps, working out where we’re going from the land. And when we had to help reinforce that bridge against the eroding river banks. And working with the farmers to ensure the soil is healthy again, undoing all the pollution. I think I’d like to be a geologist but at the same time -- I don’t want to make up my mind.”

She dared a glance at the other two, but neither of them were laughing at her. Kon was frowning, while Gar listened intently.

“This -- now -- is the happiest I’ve been since forever,” she confessed. “I feel bad because I know it’s not the same for you, but -- being free to choose exactly who I am, not being bound by needing to be careful all the time … I want to enjoy that before I make up my mind what I do next.”

“Free,” Kon repeated slowly. “Yeah, I guess you might be on to something there.” Picking up his wrench he crawled back under the sink.

“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Gar said slowly. “But I think you’re right. It’s still weird to think of anything good coming out of what happened but--” He paused, and his face got a lot pinker. “I think you’d make a great geologist,” he blurted out hastily. “Not that I’m saying you have to make up your mind or anything--”

Terra smiled fondly at him. “The soup’s going to boil over,” she pointed out, picking up her maps. As she set the table, while Gar dished up the soup and they both tried to avoid stepping on Kon, Terra found herself the one thing she’d never believed she could be in Haven.

Not merely happy, but secure. Safe.

Together.