Calm Before The Storm

One week later

A bunch of racket was heard in a building. Terra was smashed through the glass of a penthouse building. She landed with a backroll. A group of metas all blitzed her. One shot a beam from his eyes. Terra did a cartwheel into a flip and dodged it. Terra kicked one of the metas down with a kick from her flip. She was restrained by a big guy. He got her in a chokehold. She put her chin down. He spat acid on her head. She put her hand above her head and let it fall on her hand. She put her hand on his face. And his face was boiled. The meta with laser eyes shot his eyes at a mirror. Terra got hit head on and fell down.

Laser eyes: Did we get her?

Another meta came over and kicked her.

Meta: Looks like it.

Laser eyes: Crazy bitch.

Terra quietly got to her feet as they walked away.

Terra: Hey! I like you to face me when we fight. I want a fair fight.

Meta: Oh! So she was just playing!

The meta shot ice on the ground. And slid towards Terra. She flipped out her spear and spun it around. As the meta slid towards her she knocked him out. The laser eyes meta shot his beam at Terra. He hit her clean on the chestplate. It did nothing. He lowered his eyes to her stomach. Which was open. Terra covered the gap with her gauntlet. She took off one of her gauntlets and bounced it off a wall, and knocked the guy out. Terra jumped on the roof of the penthouse. Shortly cops came, they saw a note over the guys. "Your welcome!"

Cop: Who are they to think they can do our jobs for us.

Other cop: Yeah, I'm starting to get tired of these new vigilantes. They think they're all that!

Terra jumped across multiple buildings. She laid against the edge of a building. She took out her phone and sent a message to Simon. He sent a happy face emoji and "Good Job! You're done for the night! Get some Rest!" Terra leaned her head against the wall. She took a deep breath. She stood up and dragged herself home. She sat down on her bed. She had the bag her grandfather, Carl had given her all those years back hung up on the wall. Next to a worn picture of her old family.

Terra: You liked the olympians, didn't you grandpa? I hate to break the news, but their assholes. And I think I like it here. I put on the new armor. And I'm cleaning up my mess. Just like you taught me. I've come to enjoy the new armor. And the burdens that come with it. Or, atleast make the best of it. Sometimes I think about that choice Themis gave me. And what would've happened if I said yes. I guess I should've. But Themis is probably pissed at me. He probably flew back to California.

Terra took off her armor and changed to normal clothes. So she could lay down and sleep. She drifted away to sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Terra opened her eyes. She was in a chair. She wasn't restrained. But she couldn't stand up. She heard banging next to her. She looked up and saw a testing tube ahead of her. There was someone in it. Tempest. A figure walked in front of the tank. It took out a syringe. Tempest banged on the glass harder. The person in front of them. In control of them took out a gun. And pointed it at Terra's head.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Terra violently shot up out of her bed. She had her hands on her head. As if the dream happened in real life. But she was okay. She heard someone walk through her door. Amelia walked into her room. She had phased in.

Amelia: Terra! Are you alright?

Terra: Amelia? What the hell are you doing in my room?!

Amelia: I was just checking on you! I heard screaming. Don't get all defensive.

Terra: I just had a nightmare.

Amelia: You remember what happened in it?

Terra: I got shot, in the head.

Amelia: That sounds pretty anticlimactic for a nightmare.

Terra: Dreams usually aren't easy to remember. Plus, the death felt too real.

Amelia: I mean, you have died before.

Terra: ...Y-yeah.

Terra quickly buried the thoughts of Ivan and that...thing.

Terra: What time is it?

Amelia: Like 5 am.

Terra: Ugh. Back to sleep.

Amelia: "Thanks Amelia, your welcome Terra"

Amelia left the room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Terra was awoken later by a phone call. It was Simon.

Terra: Ugh, I thought we were done for the week.

She picked up her phone.

Terra: Hey Simon.

Simon: Terra! You really worked your tail off this week. So I was going to invite you to a little baquet. It'll be stress relieving.

Terra: Uh, stress relieving how?

Simon: We have these every year in the summer! There's a hot tub, a pool, lounging chairs, food, there's our VR training station! It's the first year we're trying that out.

Terra: Well, I don't know what VR is. But all that other stuff sounds fun I guess. I'll come.

Simon: I'll send you the address. Bring a bathing suit, nice clothes, and food if you like to cook!

Terra got off the phone with Simon. She changed into her bathing suit. She put on her bathing suit top and looked behind her in the mirror. She saw the phoenix. She heard Phobos's words in her head. "She was going to be the phoenix out of the ashes after the raid of Olympus." That burn was a constant reminder that she was now stuck with the identity of a woman she hated. She thought about getting a one piece or something. The party wasn't far away. And it didn't matter that much. The nicest clothes she had were for funerals. So she just went with a normal outfit.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Terra walked into the party. The place was a huge apartment on the top floor in the rich district of the city. There were tons of people there. Lots of the rich men and hot women who were probably their wives looked at Terra weird. She had a scar across her face, and normal clothes on. Like she was going to a birthday party. Maybe everyone thought she was bad news because she was on the news as a terrorist. She was so stuck inside her own head, that she didn't hear Simon say hi to her the first time.

Simon: Terra! You made it! This is the host of the party.

???: Name's Charlie Patrick! Nice to meet you.

Terra: You too. This is your house? It's huge!

Charlie: You don't see things like this everyday, huh?

Terra: No. I don't have any rich friends really.

Charlie: Hahaha! Rich friends can be a benefit. Enjoy the party!

Charlie walked away and started greeting more people.

Simon: You can go and see Lobo and Tempest. They saved a spot for you in the hottub. And now most people are afraid to go in there,

Simon pointed Terra to the hottub.

Tempest was in there with shorts on and Lobo had a two piece bathing suit on. Terra took her clothes off, her bathing suit under them.

Lobo: Hey Terra. How's it going?

Terra: This place is weird. Everyone looks at me like I'm crazy.

Tempest: These people love the news. And a year and a half ago, you were a terrorist.

Terra: Fair. They should've forgotten that.

Tempest: You were a terrorist who allegedly fought for the freedom of metas.

Lobo: Imagine how much money these assholes made from that!

Tempest: They could've also lost money.

Terra: It doesn't matter. I'm just a terrorist. That's all there is to it.

Lobo: I don't want to make you uncomfortable Terra. But what is that on your back?

Terra: Oh, this stupid fucking bird? I was tortured and branded with the symbol of a god.

Lobo: Well, it's just that I know that symbol, and what it means.

Terra: How?

Lobo: Before I joined T.H.O.R.N. I knew Artemis.

Terra: Huh. It's a small world. Wait, so…

Lobo: I don't want to rip men's dicks off all willy-nilly. I...left behind Artemis's beliefs.

Terra: That's good.

Lobo: I did hear about her death. I'm not surprised. She was the most likely to die. And so young, too.

Terra: What do you mean young?

Lobo: She was much, much older than us. But for an olympian she was young.

Terra: Damn.

Lobo: What about all those scars? They all must tell a story.

Tempest: You are covered from head to toe in scars, Terra.

Terra: Well, what's that scar across your chest?

Tempest: I don't know.

Lobo: He doesn't like to talk about his past.

Terra: Well, this scar across my face is from a sword. I fought Integer's husband, Ivan. We both had so much contempt for each other... That fight was probably one of my most intense.

Lobo: What about that burn scar?

Terra had a burn scar from the side of her cheeks and down her neck, and above her chest.

Terra: That was from a laser blast that Integer shot at me, from a gigantic mech she made. That fight was probably the hardest fight I fought. She was so mad...And so was I. That was both of our final chances.

Tempest: Are you even telling the truth? Did you really beat Integer? She is supposed to be extremely powerful! Look at you! You're not even that powerful, Sae could kill you.

Terra: I had armor that made me extremely powerful. Made by the olympians themselves.

Lobo: I mean, those are second degree burns. You must've been able to take a lot in that armor.

Terra: I was so powerful in that armor. It was like a drug.

Terra pointed at the scar on her stomach that led up to her lower chest.

Terra: This was another sword,

She pointed out three stab wounds across her stomach.

Terra: These three were stab wounds.

Terra brought up her leg from the water.

Terra: This was a gash from a huge wolf. That was a long time ago.

Terra finally sat all the way down and let herself rest.

Tempest: You are really flexing. I know this one is from a stab wound, this one is from an acid meta. This was a meta dog of some sort. I hated that one.

Lobo: Seriously, you two are comparing scars?

Terra: Hey, it's not a competition. Scars just make you cooler.

Tempest: You may as well just walk around naked so everyone can see those scars.

Terra: I doubt people would look at my scars.

Lobo: Yeah, you fucking perv!

Lobo smacked Tempest on the head.

Tempest: Hey! I will throw hands in this hot tub!

Terra laughed.

Terra: No throwing hands. Aren't we supposed to relax?

Tempest: And it's even better, they're scared of us. The little rich assholes are afraid of us. Them coming in here would be like lambs to the slaughter.

Terra: Jeez. That's dark.

Tempest: I like to kill people, what's the problem?

Lobo: He's edgy.

Terra: Now I see why you and Sae got along so well…

Tempest: She was more of an extra bit of fun.

Lobo: Sae chewed my ear off talking about the times they screwed.

Terra: I didn't ask for details!

Tempest: We're all adults here.

Lobo: You are nineteen now, right Terra?

Terra: Oh yeah, I am. I'm still getting used to this whole adulting thing. Even though I've technically been at it since I was seventeen.

Lobo: You know you aren't an adult until you're eighteen. Right?

Tempest laughed at Terra. She also laughed.

Terra: No, I just got my apartment when I was seventeen. I had to give away part of my armor.

Lobo: Tempest, you haven't said much about your past. What's up in that head of yours?

Tempest: I am a weapon. Weapons don't care about their past.

Terra: Oh, so you're back to being all broody and serious? I thought you were lightening up to us.

Tempest: I'm not broody! I'm full of life.

Terra: I thought weapons don't have lives.

Lobo laughed.

Lobo: Here, I'm going to get some drinks. I'll let you two mingle.

Lobo got out of the hot tub and walked away.

Terra: Well, she is interesting.

Tempest: She's annoying. A little heckler.

Terra: I don't think she thinks the same of you. She seems to like you. You seem like brother and sister.

Tempest: That's a little much. As a matter of fact. That's very extreme.

Terra: How many friends have you had?

Tempest: I've had acquaintances if anything. I don't recall having any friends.

Terra: What do you mean you don't recall having any friends?

Tempest: My memory is...fuzzy.

Terra: Will you tell me more?

Tempest: No.

Terra: Figured. Could you tell me what you remember?

Tempest sighed.

Tempest: I have true memories dating back two years ago.

Terra: Are they all with T.H.O.R.N?

Tempest: Yes.

Terra: W-

Tempest: No more questions.

Terra: You don't like talking about yourself. Well, unless it's gloating.

Tempest: What does that mean?

Terra: It's not a competition. But I do have more scars.

Tempest got out of the hot tub. He turned around, showing scars on his back. He also had some along his feet. He got into the hot tub again.

Tempest: Take a look.

Tempest beckoned Terra. He showed a bunch of marks embedded in his neck. They were a bunch of small scars.

Terra: What are those?

Tempest: I don't know what those are from.

Terra: Hmm.

Tempest: So in counting. I have more scars. Like you said. It isn't a competition.

Terra: Very funny.

They stood in silence. Looking at each other. Terra was the first to notice it was for too long.

Lobo: Seriously Tempest? Your quiet mysterious hot guy with a six pack act is getting through already?

Tempest: Drink, please.

Lobo handed drinks to the two.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The party crawled to an end. By the end it had started thundering. Everyone was inside. Terra said farewell to Lobo and Simon.

Simon: Before you go, here's something that might get you out of a jamn if you need it. It's always good to have a backup.

Terra: That's one thing I've learned over the years. Thanks.

Simon handed Terra a gun of some sort. Terra was disappointed she couldn't say goodbye to Tempest. But it was getting late. She started walking out. As she got to the elevator. Tempest came out of the elevator. Terra was startled.

Terra: Oh! Hi Tempest. I'm on my way out, so…

Tempest: Get back in the elevator. I have a question to ask you.

Terra: What? W-what kind of question?

Tempest: Don't stand there, come on.

The elevator started going to the bottom floor.

Tempest: I just had a simple question, what did you dream about last night?

Terra: Uh...that's a weird question.

Tempest: Because you were in my dream.

Terra got a little flustered by this, was it a flirting technique?

Terra: Uh...Thanks?

Tempest: What kind of answer is that? I had a dream, I was in a vat. And you were in a chair. I saw you get shot.

Terra: Holy shit…

They noticed they were just standing still in the elevator. And people were waiting to get in. Terra got even more flustered and got out of the elevator with Tempest.

Terra: I did have a nightmare like that, I saw you in a testing tube, and someone shot me in the head.

Tempest: We shared dreams. Interesting.

Terra: What does that mean?

Tempest: I have no idea. Either way, it's my problem.

Terra: It's mine too if I'm getting shot in the head in your dreams! Tell me if you see me in one of your dreams again!

Tempest: Affirmative. Goodbye.

Tempest stepped in the elevator.

Terra: See ya later.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Terra stepped into her apartment. She saw that a bunch of her belongings were trashed all throughout the room. Her various drawers were opened, and she saw her closet was opened. She realized her armor was gone. And her heart sank. She looked out her window. No sign of someone who could be the culprit. She heard one step in her bathroom. She kicked down the door. And got shot in the stomach by an arrow. She looked ahead, two woman in red, expensive, stylish dresses. They both held Artemis's bows. They started shooting arrow after arrow at Terra. She reacted quickly and sniped arrows out of the air as they came at her and threw them back at the woman. They dodged. And arrows collided. Until there were no more arrows in their quivers. Terra was holding two.

Terra: Explain yourselves! Before I gouge your eyes out with these arrows!

Terra was enraged. How did they get here?

One of the women stepped back and signaled for the other to lower her bow. She stepped forward.

Woman: I am Elizabeth. Our leader. Delta, wants to speak with you.