Terra #4 (of 5)

[arcalian]

Story by Jay McIntyre
Art by Ryan Alcock

Doesn't the fight for survival also justify swindle and theft? In self defense, anything goes.
Imelda Marcos


I wish to note that intellectual property theft by a government represents the very essence of organized crime.
Howard Berman

[arcalian]

-1-

In the air over Russia, Four years, one month and three weeks ago....

They arrived without incident. That is, if you consider the absolutely godawful flight they'd taken. That it was a Russian plane was no surprise. That they had traveled incognito was no surprise; Tara was already long since used to the absence of the luxury of her old life in the castle. But there is a difference between lack of luxury, and riding in the back of a cargo plane, with the air howling outside. After it was over, Smolder said his time in the military wasn't as bad; that even military transport planes were better than that. That surprised Tara; he hadn't struck her as the military type.

There was still so many things about her companions she didn't know. At first that hadn't troubled her, but her dialogue with Carom had both unnerved her and reminded her of that.

Smuggling Carom was a problem. Even in his secret identity, his skin was blighted purple; they had makeup for that of course, but on a trip like this, there was a risk it would wear off.

All of them were miserable and out of sorts. Harpi was threatening to claw the walls, which in a rattling cargo plane like this was not a good idea. Eventually Smolder talked her down. Eventually.

They were not alone in the plane either; while it was by no means packed, they shared space with refugees and gun runners. Tara was not that surprised people wanted to flee into Russia, rather than away; there were worse places. Of course, some of them were just using it as a stopover to somewhere else.

Tara had not been that naive even before leaving her pampered childhood, and her experiences with the gang had honed her perceptions.

Like it or not, their 'band of merry thieves' were slowly but surely falling apart.

[arcalian]

-2-

Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, now....

Tara got of the plane and drew a deep breath.

Gar had been unhappy to leave her, and she him. But she needed to do this. She also regretted not joining the Titans for whatever it was. Something to do with an experimental space craft, Gar had said. The first big crisis that she knew of, the Apokolips invasion, had happened while she was still recovering from Doctor Jace's “installation” of her powers. She had been with Brion on a plane when Starro struck, and hadn't seen any proper action when they had arrived in America. The last time there had been a big crisis, with the Black Sun, she had been rendered almost comatose by it, out of the action. There had been that Time crisis thing too, but the details were hard to remember. Space was something Tara had been curious about, even as a child. Her royal upbringing, whatever else might be said about it, had given her a good education. At least the parts of it she had been interested in. That thought brought a bittersweet smile.

Her smile faded as she looked around the place. This little chunk of land was Russia's Baltic Sea port, their only direct sea access to the Atlantic. First it had been Prussian, then German, then Russian since World War II. It was not the part of Russia she and Geomancer's gang had fled to, back in the day; but the similarities were enough to disturb her.

The whole thing had been disturbing. And still was. Geomancer was loose; he was here, somewhere.
Tara shivered to herself.

She had all the relevant paperwork along with her passport, and she spoke Russian passably well, though with a bad accent, apparently. Markovians always spoke it with a high pitched lilt that gave them away. She had learned that in Russia...the last time.

She shook her head. She wasn't a tourist. She was here to track Geomancer down and, as Terra, take him out. He had been seen in costume; he hadn't changed. Back to the same racket he'd been running before. But if he had a group this time, they hadn't been seen.

Aside from Smolder, whom she and the Titans had taken down, she didn't know if any them were still locked up. Or even if they were alive. Of all of them, though, she thought that only Harpi might have come back to him. There was a lot of water under the bridge since then, of course.

She had liked Harpi, but....she had made her choice. In a way, she had made it even before Deathstroke had tried to bribe her. In truth, she had made it during her tenure on the Suicide Squad, when she had stepped into a room, expecting that Killer Frost had set up a night of fun, and instead found the man frozen to death.

It was a gradual process, of course. And tracking down Geomancer was another step on it.

Hunching her shoulders, she went to rent a room and begin her search. She was no Nightwing, but she'd learned a thing or two.

[arcalian]

-3-

Murmansk, Russia, Four years, one month and two weeks ago.....

They hadn't had an extant safehouse here; Geomancer used some of their existing capital to buy a group of rooms from a seedy hotel on the southeastern edge of the city.

It was cold up here on the Kola Peninsula, not far from Finland and Norway.

But they had barely settled in before Geomancer realized there was a problem....their funds, while more than adequate, were short by several hundred.

They quietly came for Carom that night. For the first time, Tara had balked at something Geomancer had asked of her. She didn't want to flirt with the psychotic Carom, even as part of the trap. His eyes gleamed dangerously at this defiance, but fortunately Harpi was willing enough. Almost eager. She was as angry as the rest of them.

By the time the rest of them moved in, Harpi was already in Carom's lap, happily chattering away at him, her long talons raking down his chest, almost tearing his costume. Carom was quite happy at the attention, it was rare she had given herself to him.

Nor would it happen again.

As he looked up at Geomancer looming over them, Harpi dug her claws into Carom's shoulders, deep. Not a flirtatious light clawing of the back, no; this was brutal, and his blood flowed. He yelped in pain.

“I trusted you you divvy up the loot,” Geomancer said. “You counted on that. And only skimmed a little at first. So little we wouldn't even notice. And you probably figured that if we did catch you, you could run. Bold, Carom. Very bold.....but not clever at all.”

“You figured we'd just jump at you as soon as we found out,” Harpi hissed into his face, “Not even considering we might lay a trap of our own.”

“You shouldn't have let your psycho side show, speedo. Maybe I would slept with you if you hadn't.” Terra shook her head.

Carom managed a painful smile and tried to shrug, which only provoked Harpi into digging her talons further. His shoulders wept blood. “I-I deserved a bigger share of the cut for being fast enough to...to save your sorry butts so many t-times.”

“So you told yourself,” Smolder seethed. “This only works because it's a team effort. One alone loses. You might try some superspeed trick to escape Harpi. But if you do, I can burn you, and Geomancer and Terra and trap you in rock prisons.

“So what now, then?” Carom said placidly. Terra didn't like his attitude, still very laconic. Aside from the pain of Harpi's claws, he seemed very relaxed. It didn't seem like overconfidence to her; it seemed like he knew something they didn't.

“Now?” Geomancer's smile was as cold as the winter wind. “Now you die. I just wanted to see the look on your face before you died.”

Now Terra had another problem. She had never killed before, but she had watched the others kill people on heists. Harpi and their erstwhile partner Carom seemed to enjoy it the most, but they all did it. Except her. If Geomancer wanted her to make the kill.....she was sure she could do it, but didn't want to. Was it morality, or fear of the consequences? She honestly didn't know. Maybe both.

But Carom solved the problem for her. “Seems I'm not the only one who isn't clever.”

And before any of them could react, Harpi was flying into the wall. By the time Geomancer and Smolder realized what had happened and started to call upon their powers, there was a gust of wind that knocked them over.....and Carom was gone.

After a moment, Geomancer cursed, realizing what had happened. “All this time, he was holding back. He was faster than we ever knew.”

“So why doesn't he come back and kill us then!?” Terra all but shrieked.

“You read him right,” Smolder said. “He's crazy, but cool and focused. He took the money and ran...and he'll keep running, all the way to the cops, to cut a deal for himself by ratting us out.”

“And Russian cops aren't known for their mercy or subtlety,” Geomancer spat. “We have to run again.”

Terra went over and helped a dazed, winded Harpi up. “But he knows all your safehouses, right?”

Geomancer and Smolder exchanged a look. “Yes,” Geomancer said, reluctantly. “Which means that either we have to go build a new one or.....”

“Or?” Terra frowned, thinking she wasn't going to much like this.

“Cut our losses and split up,” Smolder said unhappily. “It's been a good run, especially since you came along, sweetie. But fun time's over.”

“We just let Carom get away with the money?” Harpi wheezed painfully, clutching her ribs.

“He'll use it to bribe the cops,” Smolder said. “As far as we're concerned, it's already gone.”

“And besides, the whole point of this was to make profit quietly.” Geomancer's lips were turned down. “We fight the cops, we'll probably win; but that will bring the super heroes down on our heads. Exactly what we don't want.”

“Each of us will have to go our own way,” Smolder said.

“But we've no capital, and Harpi's hurt!” Terra protested.

“If you think I'm stupid enough to risk getting busted...” Smolder began.

A flash of rage, and Terra clenched her fists. “Now's not the time to push me, flamer!”

At first, Smolder rose up as if to match her, fire against stone....and then he stepped back. “You're crazy, little girl. You know that?”

“No. Carom is crazy, and you're a dick. I just don't take any crap.”

“It doesn't matter now,” Geomancer said, with forced calm. “If Terra wants to risk her own neck to help Harpi, that's her business. We have to look after ourselves.”

“You're right.” Smolder shook his head, then looked at Terra. “Take care of yourself, kid. I'll say this for ya, you're not soft.”

“You were fun, both of you.” Terra thought about extending a hand, then settled for a wave. “Good luck. Don't get caught.”

The men left.

Terra helped a wincing Harpi up. “We only need a little money, or maybe some stolen drugs. Then one of the black market doctors will look at you.”

Harpi looked at her. “They were right, you know. You could have left me.”

“Us bad girls gotta look out for each other.”

Harpi gave a bitter laugh that dissolved into a wince. “Ain't no such thing as bad girl sisterhood.”

“No? Then maybe what a bad girl is needs to be redefined.”

“Well, I'll take your help, anyway.”

Terra helped her out into the cold, windy night.

[arcalian]

-4-

Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, now....

Tara had picked up a few tips from Dick since becoming a Titan, but her real advantage was knowing Geomancer's habits.

She had never come to the Oblast before, and if he'd had any safehouses here during her time with him, he'd never mentioned them. (It was only long after her capture that she'd realized that he and Smolder had a separate safehouse that they had fled to, that they had kept secret from her and the others. It hadn't done Geomancer any good though, as he'd eventually been caught.) But she knew what sort of place to look for, on the run down side of town but quietly well catered to.

She'd had no luck in the city of Kaliningrad itself, but after some weary poundment paving, she found what she was looking for in the small vacation resort town of Zelenogradsk, on the coast. Many rich Muscovites own private houses in the area. Tara frowned at that; moving from banks to rich houses seemed a bit odd.

But all the other signs fit. A well appointed home was being rented right on the coast. She'd seen no other costumed types, but several thuggish types had been in and out all day. Perhaps he had switched to hired muscle, as Smolder had.

Then her breath caught in her throat, and her skin prickled. She saw him.

Out of costume, in his “Matt” persona, if that was in fact his real name. He shared a joke with one of his hired guns, and chuckling, slipped inside.

Part of her wanted to go in there as Tara to face him, but she was already in costume. And besides, she wasn't here to be any kind of friendly with him. This was business. Terra was going to take down Geomancer.

And close the door on her old life for good.

[arcalian]

-5-

Goterborg, Sweden, Four years, one month, and one week ago....

She had hit a small bank, helped Harpi to a black market medic, and then ran.

She had run far, and now she was tired.

So tired.

She had committed no crime once in Sweden. She was only hiding, and running.

She was safe now from the Russians, she was reasonably sure. But she had no idea what exactly Carom had told them to buy his own safety. There might be international warnings out for the entire gang.

She had packed her costume and was traveling in her civilian identity. But how long would that protect her?

She wasn't crying. But she was weary, and didn't know where to go. America, perhaps? The third world had many places to hide, but not so many where she could safely live. The idea of returning to Markovia never occurred to her, but it did occur to her to wonder just where she should go. What she should do.

She was hiding in run down building. Not because she didn't still have money, but to hide.

It didn't work.

“<Sister,>” said a voice.

A very familiar voice.

A voice speaking Markovian.

She twitched and looked up.

Brion was dressed in his Geo-Force costume, looking down at her. His eyes were sympathetic and sad, but his mouth was in a firm line.

“<I hope you're not going to waste any time preaching at me or expecting me to say sorry,>” she said. But there was no venom in the words, only weariness.

“<No, I expect you to realize there are thirty Interpol agents outside, armed to the teeth.>”

Tara's eyes went wide. “<I'm that infamous?>”

“<Not by yourself, no. But we were unsure how many of your gang would be here.>”

“<Oh.>” Tara's laugh was bitter. “<We went our separate ways after Carom ratted us out. Geomancer and Smolder might have stayed together, I don't know.>”

He shook his head. “<Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?”>”

She felt more frustration at getting caught than any real guilt. “<Thirty armed Interpol agents plus you gives me an idea.>” She had known of Brion's superheroic aims even before leaving Markovia. Nor was it any surprise, he had always been a ridiculous boyscout.

But then, it was that very quaint idealism that had made him the only one in the castle who ever really cared about her.

“<I went to a lot of trouble to try to take you in peacefully, sister. If you fight me, I don't know what will happen to you.>”

Tara snorted. “<You know full well that I won't fight you. Anyway, if I had the choice, I'd rather run than fight.>”

He relaxed, visibly. “<Actually, I didn't know that. I wasn't sure....>”

She shrugged. “<Well I'd rather you hadn't caught me, I won't lie. But you have. So now what?>”

“<I said I went to a lot of trouble. I can still pull some favors so you don't go to a super powered prison.>”

Tara blanched, at that. While she hadn't really thought about it, there wasn't any such thing as super juvie hall. She put her hands up and slowly got to her feet. “<What about the courts?>”

“<You may hate our royalty, but it's connections can be useful. I'll see what I can do.>”

“<I don't hate royalty. I just hated being an unwanted child of it. But it was never a political thing.>”

“<At this point, it doesn't matter. Come on.>” He gently pushed her ahead of him, and she put her hands behind her head.

Outside, a cold rain was falling. She wasn't surprised to see he had spoken the truth about the Interpol agents, but was a little scared to see how battle-ready they were. They really were afraid she'd attack. Their fear made her a little scared in turn. They wore dark suits and green shades, most of them, and a lot of teeth were clenched. She hadn't known there were Interpol uniforms. Maybe there weren't; maybe this was just how the Swedish contingent dressed.

The lead agent stepped forward, machine pistol in hand, and spoke in a low, angry voice to Geo-Force. Though she did not know their language, Tara got a fair enough idea of what was being said from the tone. They were sure that she was not going to surrender, and meant to attack at any time. Geo-Force strove for a calm, reasonable tone in response. Eventually, the lead agent made a contemptuous gesture towards a large, heavy truck, not unlike a bank's armored courier truck. She headed towards it, and two agents roughly bundled her inside. Her anger flared, but her fear was up there with it. Not that she couldn't fight them—even if Geo-Force hadn't been there, she doubted at this point she would try—but how angry and scared they were. It wasn't as though she wanted to take over the world or anything. But apparently the sheep saw her as just as dangerous as any other devastating supervillain. She didn't feel guilty about that, exactly. But it did frighten and sadden her. She would have to think about it.

She was mildly surprised that Geo-Force got in with her. They slammed the doors shut.

“<You're taking the fall with me?>” she was honestly astonished, and a little touched.

He gave a sad shake of his head. “<I'm guarding you. This truck is lined with lead and several other materials designed to dampen superpowers. But they are not sure how they will affect yours. So with my similar powers, I should be able to counter anything you try.>”

She hung her head. Not guilty, but definitely sad. “<I won't try.>”

“<I know that now. After you sunk to such depths, I wasn't sure.>”

Tara bit her tongue. Now was not the time to explain to Brion what it meant to actually enjoy life. He'd never understand, and right now she needed him on her side more than ever.

“<I'll do what I can for you,>” he went on. “<No guarantees.>”

“<Thank you for trying, brother.>”

“<You are welcome, but understand after this you will have to tread the straight and narrow.>”

Tara sighed but made no argument. She had no idea what was going to happen to her now, but she couldn't imagine it would be fun.

[arcalian]

-6-

Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, now....

Terra knocked four guards out quietly with stones to the head. She wanted to cut loose with her powers, but she also didn't want Geomancer to get any advance warning.

She slipped through the back door, and slipped quietly up the stairs. She took one more guard out; evidently most of them were inside. He must have trusted his own powers for close quarters work, which made sense. She had seen cooking staff downstairs, civilians by the look. Maybe they worked with criminals, but clearly weren't into the 'game' itself.

Yes....she had thought it all a game, back then. It wasn't until her tenure on the Squad, and that terrible moment in that room with Killer Frost, that she had finally learned differently. Geomancer had either never learned better, or more likely didn't care.

She expected to find him in an upstairs bedroom, but instead found him in a study, sitting at a computer, walls lined with books. Evidently he had become more of a fiscal planner since she last saw him.

“Hi, Geomancer,” she said. “Gone corporate, have we?”

Geomancer froze, then very slowly turned around. His face was full of blank astonishment. After a long pause, he swallowed. He seemed in this moment far removed from the smug, smart man she remembered. “I...heard you had gone legit,” he said finally.

“Did some time with a group called the Suicide Squad as a sort of parole,” she agreed, “Then joined the Titans.”

He shook his head. “Never thought you'd go soft.”

“Yah, Smolder said the same thing when we busted him. Never found out what happened to Harpi or Carom.”

“Harpi was never caught. I looked her up after I busted out.”

“After you took advantage of Green Lantern and Wonder Woman dealing with some stuff to escape,” she corrected him, drily.

“Right. Anyway, she did some mercenary work, then retired to Britain. I never found anything on Carom. If I had,” his voice darkened with hate and his eyes gleamed, “I would have killed him, slowly.”

Terra shuddered. “And what about me, now?”

“Well you've come to take me in, I see. Naturally I will defend myself. How did you find me?”

“Like I said, first we busted Smolder and his crew. Then someone who knew more about my past than I thought heard you were here.” She shrugged. “There's more to it, but it's stuff you don't need to know.”

Geomancer gave a thin, insincere smile and shrugged. “Forgive me if I likewise decline to share the details on my operation.”

“That's fine. I got the broader strokes just by looking, anyway.”

“We can counter each other's powers, but I still have my guards and the physical advantage.”

“I took out some of them on the way in, as you must have figured. You can't both block me and attack me physically at the same time. Choose.”

He shook his head. “You think because you're this big time superhero now that you can take me down solo? You're not the only one whose moved up in the world.”

“I don't know about 'big time', though I'm glad you think so. As for which one of us has moved up in the world more? Let's find out, shall we?”

“Let's,” he agreed.

She expected him to attack with powers or call for his guards. Instead he lunged for her....

To be concluded!

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