Somewhere I Belong: A Teen Titans Story

~Eleanor Carter's POV.~
*Dream*
A static sound was heard as a screen displayed a symbol. It looked like a high school symbol, in a hexagon shape, a checkered pattern with an old English style 'H' in the center and a honey yellow boarder. Under the badge was a banner with the letters, 'H.A.E.Y.P.'

"The Hive Academy for Extra-ordinary Young People is proud to introduce..." Said a young female voice as a hive-like corridor appeared and a pillar raised to the symbol.

The pillar had three people standing on top of it:

A toddler-like, bald boy, wearing a full-body jumpsuit, green goggles and holding a game controller.

A teenage girl with grey skin, pink, cat-like eyes, and spiky pink hair, with black bands to make it look like a pair of horns, wearing a witch-like outfit, with black and pink striped tights.

And a large, muscular teenage boy that towers over the other two. He has long, ginger hair with a small beard to match, wearing a large, black leotard with black, tight pants and matching boots.

"This year's top graduates." The voice finished. The kids jumped into action, to demonstrate their powers.

"Gizmo. The boy genius, whose intellect can conquer any problem with an invented solution." The voice introduced the youngest, as he press a button on his chest-plate, and metallic wings appeared from his back.

Using his controller, Gizmo was able to dodge the lasers, that were firing from the walls. The wings fired missiles at the walls, destroying the robots. Gizmo landed with a smile. A bunch of large robots appeared and Gizmo flew off.

"Jinx. An enchanting sorceress, whose powerful hexes means bad luck for her enemies." The voice introduced the girl, as she did a full twirl with pink hexes hitting the wall plates, causing them to slip out and fall.

Jinx jumped out of the way as the plates fell on the robots. She continued to back-flip down the hallway as robots came out of the floor behind her.

The large boy smashed the fist robot's nuzzle. "And Mammoth. The genetically enhanced giant, whose unstoppable strength speaks for itself." The voice introduced the large boy, as he tore the top of the robot and threw it across from his position, into the last two robots.

A large robot appeared from behind Mammoth and restrained him. Gizmo landed on the back of the robot and placed a device onto the robot.

"Well organized, highly trained and combat equipped. These new H.A.E.Y.P Agents are the perfect fighting force." The voice said as the robot dropped, Gizmo jumped off and Jinx joined the others.

Gizmo ran across the hall, as Mammoth help Jinx back-flip all the way. The walls opened and fired at Jinx, but missed her and destroyed each other.

"And, for the right price, This ideal team can be yours." The voice finished as the introduction was finished.
The room went completely blank, showing just the symbol. An young, elder woman walked into the room.

"Well, Mr. Slade?" The woman asked.

A few feet ahead of her was a tall, dark figure. "Impressive. Truly. However, robots and obstacle courses only prove so much." The figure said in a dark, yet soothing voice.

"My plans demand operatives who can function in the real world." The man said as he and the woman walked further into the room. It looked more like a machine factory and lair.

"If your students are going to serve me, they have to pass one final exam" The man started, as he sat on a mysterious chair, and the woman stood in the spotlight next to the trio.

"Destroy the Teen Titans. Then, we'll talk." The man finished. The woman bowed, then everything went blank.
*Dream End*

I sat up from my sleeping form with a sudden gasp of air and wiping cold sweat from my brow. That has been the second time I have that dream this week.

I looked out my window to see that the sky was still dark with twinkling stars and a bright, full moon watching overhead. I let out a heavy sigh and laid my head back onto my soft pillow, hoping and praying that the dream was just a dream and not a vision of something bad happening to my friends.

I woke up once again, but this time, to the sound of thumping and paper. The sounds that indicate packing. I looked out my window to see that it was just after noon. How long was I asleep for?

I brushed my midnight blue mane until it was manageable and got dressed into my casual attire. I opened my bedroom door to find my foster parents moving boxes and bags out of our house and into a moving truck outside. Even my foster sister was helping them out by moving stuff out and neatly re-packing them in order.

"What's going on?" I asked, as I walked into the hallway after my mother passed me with a large box.

"Ah, Ellie. You're up. Good." My foster mother smiled, "Get your stuff packed. We're leaving."

My eyes widen and I gasped in shock and disbelief, "Leaving? But we just got settled. Why are we leaving?"

"Because this city is plagued with superheroes and villains as well." My foster father answered, as he helped my foster mother move a box down the stairs.

I mentally face-palmed myself. Of course, that was the reason! How could I be so forgetful? My foster parents are not big fans of superheroes, or villains for that matter. Even my younger sister doesn't like them. She believes heroes and villains are just stunts to makes each other 'look good'.

Anywho, I shook my head, "But I don't want to leave. I have friends here. This is the fifth city in the last three years that we moved to that has heroes or villains." I counted with me fingers, "We left Gotham because of Batman and the Joker. Metropolis because of Superman. Central City because of the Flash. The list goes on." I folded my arms, "Where are we gonna go now?"

"Smallville." My foster father answered, "It's a small town just outside of Metropolis, but it keeps to itself and there are no heroes or villains to bother us."

I opened my mouth to argue back but decided to be smart and held my tongue. It's pointless to argue with my foster father, his stubborn will could rival that of Batman. And he's a tough one to persuade. I can see where Robin gets his stubborn demeanor from…

Then I remembered what I said before and spoke up, "But I have friends here. I can't just leave them all the sudden. We had plans for the weekend!"

"Too bad." My foster mother answered.

"Without a doubt, they're a bunch of freaks…" My younger sister scoffed, then glanced at me, "Like you."

"Get your things packed, Eleanor." My foster father told me, "We're leaving this evening."

I thought for a second. I really don't want to leave Jump City. I'm finally have friends, reunited with what was left of my real family, and I'm finally happy where I am. I can finally be who I really am here. It's not that don't want to leave… I can't leave.

I looked at my family, stood my ground and spoke in a strong and clear voice, "No."

Everything around me came into a stand-still. My foster mother and younger sister stared at me with wide eyes. My father's face turned red with anger. And I knew who that anger was directed at. Me. But I chose to be brave and stood my ground.

~SLAP!~

I placed my hand over my red, throbbing, sore cheek and looked at my father with tears welling up in my eyes.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, young lady." My foster father told with a growl in his voice. He pointed upstairs, "Go upstairs. Pack your things. And meet us outside. We leave in the evening."

Anger, rage and sadness welled up inside me. I wanted to shout back. I wanted to stay. I… I wanted to kill my foster father for what he has done to this family. I won't. I can't let the blood-lust get to me. I'm not a demon. I am just a child. A lost, scared, helpless child. I had to get away from here before something happens!

I lowered my head, so my hair shadowed over my eyes, and I dashed out of the building and down into the streets. I heard my mother and father call out my name. I refused to look over my shoulder, to see if they were chasing me. I didn't want to look back. I refused to look back.

I ran into the center of the city, where Starfire met me and Robin, and hid in a dark, nearby alley and leaned against the wall. I slid down until I was sitting, hugged my knees close to my chest and buried my face into my knees, sobbing as tears ran down my face and a black and indigo flame-like aura surround my body, blending me into the darkness of the alley.

That was that. The choice was made for me. I chose to stay in Jump City, and now I'm paying the price. The loss of my family. But then again… Were they really my family?

Did they support any of the choices I made in the past? Did they comfort me when times were tough? Did they see me as a lost child trying to fit in a world where she had no true belonging?

No… No, they didn't. The Teen Titans did. They know what it's like to be an outcast. They supported me. Helped me. They're my family, not the people that would move city to city just because they hated superheroes and villains.

Speaking of the Teen Titans, Starfire, Beast Boy and Robin, flew into the alley I was hiding in, and a garbage bin just outside the alley. Then Cyborg and Raven were crushed by a bus.

The villains behind these actions were the three from my dreams. Mammoth. Jinx and Gizmo.

"That was too easy! What a bunch of of kludge-heads!" Gizmo laughed, then asked, "You guys want get pizza?"

Until Robin yelled, "This isn't over!"

Cyborg was able to blast himself and Raven out of the bus, "We're just getting started."

"Who are these guys? And what's a kludge-head?" Beast Boy asked, removing the banana peel from the top of his head.

"We are the HIVE." Gizmo introduced.

"Your worst nightmare." Mammoth added.

"And this is Attack Pattern Alpha!" Jinx included. They jumped into battle.

Gizmo flew towards Robin, Starfire and Beast Boy, shooting at the walls around them, causing the walls to collapse on them.

I raised my hands over my head and used my psychokinesis enveloped to stop the walls from falling on top of us. Raven ended up fighting Jinx, who was dodging and blocking her attacks. While Cyborg battled with Mammoth in a test of strength.

"What do you call an idiot with a rocket on its back?" Mammoth asked Cyborg, as Gizmo placed a rocket on Cyborg's back.

"Doomed." Gizmo answered. He pressed a button and Cyborg flew off.

"Cyborg!" Starfire yelled, flying after him.

Raven was still fighting Jinx, but she dodged and blocked Raven's attacks like they were nothing.

"You fight like a boy." She teased.

"And you're going to croak like a frog." Gizmo added, as he fired a laser at me, causing Raven to fly back into Robin.

Beast Boy changed into an elephant, but was picked up by Mammoth, "Mammoth's gonna make you extinct."

"Beast Boy, hang on!" Robin shouted, running towards Beast Boy.

Mammoth pushed Beast Boy into the air and jump-punched him into Robin. Luckily, Beast Boy returned to his normal form, before he hit Robin. The impact caused them fall back to where Raven was.

"Is it just me, or are we getting our butts kicked?" Beast Boy asked.

"It's just you!" Robin, Raven and I said in unison, while getting back up.

"Listen up, team. I have a plan." Robin began, but a blast hit Raven and Beast Boy, causing them to fly a block away from Robin and myself.

"Gee, scum-buffer. Sure hope your fancy plan includes getting fried." Gizmo teased, readying his weapon for another shot.

"You'll just have to find out the hard way." Robin teased back, getting into one of his stances and did the 'come at me' hand motion.

Gizmo smiled and fired two blasts at the ground. Jinx followed with her hexes and Mammoth with a hard axe-handle. The ground crumbled beneath us. I leaped out of the way, but Robin wasn't lucky.

"Robin!" I cried as I grabbed his hand, trying to save him from falling.

My grip was quickly slipping, so I used my other hand. I saw Gizmo fire his weapon, but it was at my hands. It hit and my grip slipped, dropping Robin into the darkness, I could hear his screams.

"ROBIN!" I yelled/cried into the hole, but there was no sign of him. I was about to dive into the sewers, after him, but Jinx fired a hex at me and I fell from stepping on my tail. I fell to my knees, clutching my head in despair. Raven and Beast Boy ran to my side.

"Robin!" Beast Boy shouted.

*Later That Day, at Titans Tower...*

Raven, Beast Boy and I returned to the tower, after trying to look for Robin, but we haven't had any luck.

"That didn't just happen." Beast Boy spoke up. With Raven's help, Beast Boy sat down on one of the lobby chairs, rubbing his right thigh in pain. He pulled a muscle during the battle. "Tell me that didn't just happen."

"It did happen. We can not change the truth. No matter how much we dislike it." Raven said, removing her hood.

Beast Boy was still rubbing his leg. Raven placed her hands over his leg and her hands glowed in a calm, icy blue.

"Who knew we had a doctor in the house?" Beast Boy joked, "Thanks."

"No problem." Raven replied.

The doors opened, Cyborg and Starfire entered the lobby.

"Maybe y'all should call me Fly-Borg. I was halfway to Gotham City, before Star zapped that thing off my back." Cyborg smiled, then asked, "So, what did I miss?"

Raven, Beast Boy and I couldn't look at them in the eye.

"Tell how we kicked their butts! Come on. I gotta have the play-by-play." Cyborg insisted.

Starfire looked around, "Where is Robin?"

I closed my eyes, fighting tears, and hugged myself to stop the grief. It wasn't helping.

"Um Star? We're not sure." Beast Boy answered, looking down in shame.

"Not sure? Why are you not-" "We searched everywhere. And all we found was this." Raven explained, showing them Robin's belt. Starfire gasped in shock.

"I should've been there! I let that kid sneak up on me and- What was I-? It was a trap! I should've known." Cyborg said is disbelief, beating himself up.

"I do not understand. How could you not find him? People do not just vanish! He has to be someplace. So, go there and look!" Starfire yelled at Raven.

Beast Boy spoke up before anything got worse, "Easy, Star. Come on. This is Robin we're talking about. I'm sure he's fine. He'll probably turn up any second."

Right on cue, the door made it's opening noise.

"Awesome timing." Beast Boy smiled.

Starfire flew over to the door, "Robin."

I sensed the auras from the other side of the door, there were three. A small techno-genius, a lucky witch, and a big-headed giant.

"Starfire, don't answer the-" the doors were blasted open, throwing Starfire back.

As the smoke cleared, Gizmo, Jinx and Mammoth entered the lobby. I hate it when I do that.

"Oh no." Beast Boy grimaced.

"Oh yes." Jinx answered.

"You guys got lucky last time. But, you're in our house now." Cyborg shouted.

"Yeah. Nice place. We'll take it." Gizmo said with a smile.

The battle happened again. The other Titans tried to hold them off.

"Split up!" Cyborg ordered.

I followed Starfire and Raven, as they tried to ward Mammoth off. Starfire used her starbolts and Raven used her telekinesis. We arrived in one of the rooms, closed the door, then Starfire sealed it.

It was quiet until I pushed Starfire, Raven and myself away from the back wall, as Mammoth rammed his head into it, "Hello ladies."

He entered the room, and we tried to fight back. I teleported behind him and covered his eyes, but Mammoth grabbed me by the tail and threw me into Raven and Starfire. Mammoth took the barbell and used it as a weapon. Starfire and Raven tried to take the weapon, but he whacked us into the sky, out of the tower, and into the water, with Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"Have a nice afterlife. You snot-eating losers!" Gizmo yelled to us, an Jinx conjured a huge wave to wash us up.

We were defeated. We swam out of the water, at the other side of the bridge.

"So, uh... who else wants to never go surfing again?" Beast Boy joked. I could still hear Robin's screams in my head.

"Not now, man." Cyborg retorted, getting annoyed.

Beast Boy got up, "Hey. I was just trying to-" Raven cut Beast Boy off by placing her hand on his shoulder. Cyborg got a mini torch from his finger and started trying to repair himself.

Starfire walked towards him, "Perhaps I could be of assistance?"

"I got it!" Cyborg shot at Starfire. "But you are so damaged and-" "I got it!" Cyborg cut Starfire off.

"Hey! She only wanted to help! What is your problem?" Beast Boy stuck up.

"What do you think? We got kicked out of our house! A pint-sized point-dexter took me for a joyride! And, in case you haven't noticed, I just became left-handed!" Cyborg shouted, pointing to his missing arm to prove his point.

"Enough! We need to control our emotions." Raven said calmly.

"Or what? Our bad vibes will keep you from meditating?" Cyborg yelled at Raven.

"I wish Robin were here." Starfire sighed sadly.

"Well, he's not! Don't you guys get it? They won, we lost! It's OVER!" Cyborg yelled in anger. We looked out to the horizon, realizing we let the city down.

"Then... the Teen Titans are finished?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not yet!" said a very familiar voice. We turned and saw Robin, alive and well. "Not if I can help it."

"Robin!" I ran and threw my arms around him, "I'm so relieved you're alive. Please tell me you have a plan."

Robin smiled and nodded his head.

*Later That Night...*

As we went over the plan, we got ready to infiltrate and return. We waited at the top of the tower, as I got out my remote hacking device. I made Cyborg's arm go over to the main computer, and hacked into the mainframe, switching the alarms on, making everything go into defensive mode. The disks flew at Gizmo, causing him to fall back.

"You're not the only one good with machines." I smiled, as I used Cybrog's arm to catch Gizmo, while Raven had Jinx and Starfire had Mammoth.

We sent the trio up to the roof, with a large impact with each other. I cancelled my controller and returned Cyborgs arm. Robin caught his belt, that Jinx dropped,

"Sorry to interrupt the victory celebration. But, like I said..." Robin clips on his belt, "This isn't over."

"It's just getting started!" Cyborg added, reattaching his arm.

The trio stood up with smiles. "Attack Pattern Alpha!" Jinx commanded.

Everyone jumped into action. Beast Boy came down from his jump only to find Mammoth coming straight at him. He jumped away again and turned into a hawk as the giant slammed his fist down on the roof and sent a shock wave toward Cyborg.

Jinx landed behind the latter and vaults high over his shoulders, hurling a spell down at him as she sailed through the air. It knocked out the base of a water tank and caused the while thing to topple toward Cyborg, who gets out of the way just in time before a second tank collapsed nearby.

Starfire was throwing a few Tamaranean fastballs at Jinx, as she nimbly dodged them and ducked out of sight behind part of the new construction. Starfire flew in after her. Cyborg, meanwhile, looked around himself a bit.

All clear, but that changed in an instant when Gizmo jumped down from the fallen water tanks and landed on his back.

"Hey, Robo-wimp. Feeling like getting hacked?" Gizmo asked, getting his tool ready.

"Nope. How 'bout you? Robin, now!" Cyborg yelled.

On cue, Robin jumped from behind Gizmo and threw a device on to Gizmo's backpack. It sent an electric shock to Gizmo and messed with his systems. Gizmo got off Cyborgs back and started running around, trying to get the device off.

"Cut it out! It's gonna crash my whole systems!" Gizmo yelled as he threw a weapon out of his back.

"Get it off me! Get it off me!" Gizmo was able to shout, until he took of into the air.

Jinx continued to run from Starfire.

Starfire stopped her attack and called, "Beast Boy, go!"

Beast Boy gave the two-fingered salute, then jumped into the air, changing into a monkey. He landed on Jinx's face, causing her to be able to see. So, she fired hexes all over the area. She was able to get Beast Boy off her face, and threw him away. Beast Boy returned to his human form.

"You're luck just ran out!" Beast Boy joked, running off, leaving Jinx confused.

The area began to moan, until it fell around her. I felt bad, so I moved her out of the rubble.

She looked at me, "Why?"

I said nothing, punched her out-cold, and joined the battle.

Mammoth tried to charge into Raven, but she dodges with ease. Cyborg charged into Mammoth, causing him to fly a good ten feet across the roof. Mammoth got up and saw Beast Boy, in his T-Rex form, and me on his back. Beast Boy snarled at Mammoth. He screamed and ran for his life. I jumped in front of Mammoth, startling him.

I gave him a flying kick to the head, and dashed out of the way, as Starfire released a powerful starbolt at Mammoth, causing him to float in mid-air, spinning. Robin gave Mammoth a flying kick, and we defeated the HIVE. Gizmo groaned and got out a communications device.

"Oh crum it. I'm calling Slade." Gizmo said.

Robin grabbed him, from the collar of his suit and picked him up, "Who is Slade?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, barf-brain." Gizmo teased. Robin growled, and punched him out-cold.

*The Next Day...*

"NOOOO! This is the worst thing that could ever happen!" Beast Boy yelled in despair, as we returned to the tower. Everything was cleaned up.

"My tunes! They've been... alphabetized." Beast Boy started searching out his tunes, as Cyborg continued looking high and low for the remote, like yesterday.

"How am I ever gonna find anything?" Beast Boy asked, as he threw his CDs. Raven came downstairs with two of her cloaks on her arms.

She didn't look, or feel too happy, "They went into my room. No one should ever go into my room!"

Starfire gasped in horror, as she popped from behind the kitchen counter, "Someone has disposed of all our blue, furry food!"

Cyborg picked up the couch, "You gotta be be kidding me! The whole place gets cleaned and I still can't find the-" Robin whistled, getting his attention. He pointed to the table, where the remote was. Cyborg smiled and put the couch down. Robin and I sat down, followed by everyone.

"I guess we really oughta be training for battles, tracking down clues, and trying to figure out who Slade is, huh?" Cyborg asked Robin, confused.

"We will. But right now, I'm just happy being part of the team." Robin answered with a smile. Then he turned to me, "I take it you're going back home again."

I shook my head, "Actually, Robin. I'm already home." I smiled at my cousin, "I have decided to join the Teen Titans for good this time. You guys are my real family. Sorry I didn't see it sooner."

Starfire squealed happily and threw her arms around me, "Oh, I am so happy for you to join us, Friend Eleanor."

"We've got a perfect name for you too." Raven smiled. Starfire released her hug.

"Really? What?" I asked.

"Willow. It fits your personality and your appearance." Robin answered, "What do you think?"

I rubbed my chin in thought. Willow... Simple. Easy to remember. And its my favorite type of tree. I smiled and threw my arms around the Boy Wonder, "I love it."

I was relieved to see the team back together, but it worries me of what this Slade has in store for us.