Hey there! This is my new story, which is linked to the listed stories below-
-Nightingale -finished-
-Nightshade -finished-
-Dark Shadows (sequel to Nightshade)
-A Golden Eyed Glitch -finished
So, if you liked those stories, and you want to know what the heck is going on, this one well answer thise questions.
Wait, no it doesn't. What am i even talking about?
Ouroboros
Chapter 1- Five Statues
1:03 am, November 28, 2012
The girl was walking down the deserted street, hands shoved in the pockets of her black jacket with gold designs on the shoulder, head bobbing to the rhythm of the song she was listening to. She pretended not to be able to hear the group of five men following her through her black headphones.
The men were following the girl down the deserted street, too absorbed in their stalking of her to notice how every streetlamp she passed under flickered and went out, only to come back on after she was out from under it.
"What idiot wears sunglasses this late at night?" one man snickered.
Another chuckled darkly, "What idiot walks into an alley this late at night?" their pace picked up.
The girl didn't miss a beat, silently answering them, 'What idiots follow this girl into an alley? Well, maybe they don't know who I am…' she smirked, kicking a pebble with her black combat boots with dark gold metal toes. She knew she was pretty, and showing a little too much skin with her ripped jeans for them not to want to follow her- Hell, she was walking home alone at 1 in the morning, had headphones in, was seemingly out of it, AND just walked into an alley! Who wouldn't follow?
She was lifted off the ground and turned around by two men. They grouped in front of her; trapping her against the wall they shoved her into.
"You're a little dim, aren't you?" one asked, slightly irritated and confused that I was still smirking.
"I could say the same about you." I drawled lazily back before pulling off my shades with my free hand.
How could I resist?
"Friend Robin!" Starfire cried. I ran into the alley her voice had come from to see Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy clumped around the missing subjects… or, statues of them. Starfire flew over to me and latched onto me.
"Friend Robin, what could have done this to them?" She whimpered into my chest as she hugged me.
I hugged her tightly, "I don't know." I gently pried her off me and walked over to investigate.
Each was turned to stone, though there were too many details for this to just be some people being kidnapped and replaced with statues. Each had exact details, down to the number of eyelashes and teeth. Two of them had wrinkles on the arms of their jackets, like someone had grabbed it and pulled it down from their faces.
I sighed, pulling out my communicator and contacting the police, "We've found the missing people, though they aren't in a very… desirable condition. Could you bring their dentists, or at least their dental records?" This was the only way I could think of to prove that it wasn't them and that they hadn't been (somehow) turned to stone.
I turned to Beast Boy. He looked as though he was about to cry. Terra. The statues reminded him of how Terra had been frozen as a statue, then became unfrozen but seemed to have forgotten about him. In fact, she didn't want anything to do with him.
The police arrived minutes later with the records and dentists just as I had asked. I ordered the shaking dentists to check their teeth, getting a positive from each of them- if these were statues, then someone had managed to get a lot of details in. In face, I don't think it's even possible for them to get that so perfectly!
I observed their facial features again- each looked terrified beyond belief, almost as though someone was showing them the personification of their worst fears and nightmares. I shook my head. After the Brotherhood of Evil had been defeated, I thought things would get better. Apparently, not every villain had been tempted, and this villain had a unique way of getting rid of her targets.
"Let's get back to the T-Tower, guys." They nodded numbly and piled into the T-Car wordlessly.
5:28 pm, November 29, 2012
I ground my teeth together, "There's nothing! This villain- well, villainess, from what I can see, simply walked into the alley. Those five men followed her, and less than a minute later, she walked out again. There's no evidence to reveal her identity or any ties between her and her other victims!" I spat.
"Other victims?" Starfire asked hesitantly.
I sighed, "Yes. There've been other reports of people going missing all over the U.S. and then statues of them being found. There are no pictures of the girl without that outfit on or the sunglasses. She always appears at night, were the cameras can't get good details of her, and she always walks into the cameras blind spot with her victims behind her. The one connection is that all her victims are rapists, gangsters, or mob leaders. People with enough ties that they're disappearance will be noticed, but not enough for it to make the news. Though it will most likely make the news within the next week if she hangs out in Jump City."
Raven added dryly, "I did some research too, seems like you missed something- she seems to stay in the same area for about a month before moving on. She also seems to stay around areas with lots of water."
I thought about this for a moment, "I know this is going to sound crazy, but…" I stopped, clearing my throat, "I am the only one here who is kinda reminded of Medusa? From Greek mythology?"
Beast Boy- "Dude, I don't read Greek mythology!"
Starfire- "Who is this 'Medusa' you speak of?"
Raven- "It would make sense, what with the statues and the obvious fear on their faces… Some of them looked like they were trying to shield their eyes but she pulled their hands away."
Cyborg- "I dunno man… didn't Medusa have snake-hair?"
I addressed Cyborg and Raven, "Well, yeah, she had snake-hair, but I'm not saying she is Medusa. I'm just saying, what if she can do what Medusa did? Turn people into statues?"
Cyborg and Raven nodded. Starfire spoke up again, "Friends, Beast Boy and I still do not understand. Who is this Medusa?"
"Medusa was a gorgon, a woman with snake for hair. If you looked into her eyes, you were turned to stone instantly. Robin thinks that this villainess may have the ability to do just that- minus the snake hair." Raven explained.
Everyone looked worried now, "I guess it would explain the sunglasses at night thing." Beast Boy murmured. I frowned as I looked at the time- 12:07.
"Alright guys, we should probably head off to bed… we'll need to get up early tomorrow to look for this girl. Maybe we can lure her out with some mob leader or something."
12:49 pm, November 29, 2012
I leaned against the railing of the top of the building I was on, desperate for some shuteye. I nearly groaned as I felt another presence on the roof (Snake senses. Don't knock it people!) I slid open one green snake-eye absently, eying the man who was turned sideways so I could only see the side of his mask. My stomach turned uncomfortably as I matched his appearance with another. I did not like that other, and he did not like me.
"Can I help you?" I asked drily. "Because if not…" my hand went up to play with the side of my sunglasses.
"Now, now, no need to be rash, Miss… what is your name again? I think I missed it."
"That would be because I haven't told you it." My eye slid shut as I became bored with this. Even he wasn't worth missing my 'beauty' sleep. "Now cut the formalities crap or leave. I've got better things to be doing than sitting around gossiping."
"I saw you last night and I was… impressed. I have a job for you." Yeah right, impressed my ass! He knows who I am… why hasn't he tried to drag me back yet? False sense of security, maybe?
"I'm on my own side, mister, so lemme ask you this- will this attract a whole lot of unwanted attention?" My eyes were still closed in disinterest. Witness protection?
"Yes, at least, the way I want you to do it, trust me, it will." He replied smoothly.
"Alright then." I stood up and held out my gloved hand for when to shake. My exposed fingers protested from the cold as I pulled one hand out of my pocket. "You can call me Medusa. Got it?"
He chuckled darkly, "Slade." He finally turned to me, showing the orange side of his mask with a single grey eye. He firmly shook my hand.
"I want you to freeze a girl but I need to know… are you capable of turning your victims from a statue back to flesh and bone?"
"Easy. Don't usually do it, unless I accidentally freeze a kid or something, but, hey, why not?"
"Good. I want you to turn this girl to stone." He handed me a picture of a smiling girl with orange tinted skin, long cherry red hair, and green eyes. I raised an eyebrow,
"Is she even human? Or is she another one like me- half human?" Half-humans weren't rare where I came from… it was the humans that were rare. In our little scrap of the world, humans were like an endangered species- a lovely delicacy, like caviar. Though only the poorest people were forced to eat them.
"She's Tamaranean."
I nodded, "Thought so. Met her sister a couple of years back. Lovely statue, she was, though I unfroze her. It's unnerving to have a glaring statue in your living room for a month."
"How do you know it's this girl's sister?"
"Facial features." I answered vaguely. Don't need to tell him too much, for my own personal interest, of course.
"So, this is how I want you to do it…" Slade leaned in and told me the plan. I snorted,
"All I have to do I break the window, freeze her, and put this in her hand?" I said incredulously, looking at the orange disk with the black 'S' on it. I pressed the side to see a little flash drive. "What? Sending someone a love letter?" I said mockingly, before snapping it shut and saying,
"What's in it for me? I mean, sure, you get Robin as your apprentice, this Starfire chick gets unfrozen, but I don't usually stone-ify the GOOD guys. I usually only do that to people who harass me." HINT. HINT.
He smirked behind the mask, "Name your price." I thought about it, then said,
"You promise me that I'll be able to unfreeze this girl. I don't think she deserves this, despite your hatred for them." I said. I'm done with that part of my life. He chuckled.
"It's odd how you seem to be making such a career for yourself as a villain, yet have such a soft heart."
I turned away, my eyes flashing, "I'm on my own side, and I don't care about who I freeze. I care about the people that the statue leaves behind. Now, is this a deal or what?"
He extended his hand and we shook hands for the second time that night.
"When am I doing this?"
"No better time than the present, wouldn't you say?" he answered.
I blinked, then shrugged, "I'm game."
Minutes later, when the clock chimed once, a scream pierced the air like a gunshot in the Titans Tower, so short that no one was sure whether or not it had been a phantom echo from a nightmare. All doubts were dissolved when Robin opened her door and shouted, "Starfire!"
Dun-dun-dun!
Review to prove your Loyalty!
~Songbook12