Author's Note: This was created after I had watched the Mother Mae-Eye episode. I'm actually quite proud of it, originally it was going to be part of the 'A Work In Progress' story, but sadly didn't fit. But i liked it enough to still want to post it. So here it is: Class In Session.
The HIVE students sat around tables in the dining hall, there was a gentle murmur of conversation. Nothing vicious, it was practically amiable. That was the first odd thing.
The second odd thing was that they were all eating the same thing. Pies.
Pies.
Pies.
EVERYWHERE.
The third odd thing was that the place seemed to be made out of gingerbread and other sugary goodness.
The fourth and final bizarre thing was the three eyed, green skinned, wooden spoon wielding witch who seemed to be the cause of all this. The students looked at her, with pink, love filled eyes, as if she were just a plump, kindly, old fairy, like their mother or something. This, apparently was Mother Mae-Eye.
Slade watched from a hidden alcove. In his hand he carried a huge axe, a souvenir from the guardian of the underworld. As soon as the business with Trigon had been concluded and with his flesh restored, Slade had decided it was time for a new plan.
He had worked with HIVE before, although it had been something of a failure. But that had been only three of the students. With t he entire academy, who knows what he could achieve? The current Headmaster, Brother Blood, had been defeated and imprisoned by the Titans. This left the door open for a new headmaster to step in. For Slade, not just one apprentice, but a full school of willing students. Perfect.
But now he arrived here and a bizarre witch was telepathically controlling them. She had dressed the students in ridiculous outfits and seemed to be doing her best to kill them through over-feeding.
Slade had seen enough. Checking on the position of his future students, gingerbread-man creations and Mother Mae-Eye herself, he stood, his underworld-axe held loosely in his hand.
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"Eat up my loving children!" Mother Mae-Eye magicked up more and more pies for the Hive to devour. "My, my we haven't been eating properly, have we? Well, I have all the pies in the world for my little family!"
"WE LOVE YOU MOTHER MAE-EYE!" chanted the Hive monotonously. Their eyes were all pink with love.
"And Mother Mae-Eye loves you too!" she called back, chuckling she added under her breath, "And when you're all ready I'll bake you all with love and I'll be strong for a good long while!"
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Slade dropped from his hiding place, landing behind Mother Mae-Eye. The students, consuming their copious numbers of pies didn't notice, but a couple of Gingerbread-guards did.
Silently he swung his flaming halberd, cutting them both in two. SL-SLINK!
The two sets of gingerbread burned into nothingness.
Slade moved towards the green creature in the centre of the room. However, a student happened to look up, See-More, and shouted to "Mother! Mother!" Mae-Eye turned, and with her three eyes widening in shock called her Gingerbread guards.
Slade narrowed his eye and tightened his grip on his axe.
"Watch and learn." Emotionless, he ran forwards, dragging his axe along the ground causing sparks to fly. SCRIIIIIIII!
A Gingerbread man jumped at him and with ease Slade swung his axe up slicing the head off the magical creature. He skidded to a stop, as he realised he was surrounded by a closing ring of cookie-assailants.
Mother Mae-Eye could have sworn Slade's one eye was looking smug.
The biscuit-warriors charged, all at once, leaping at Slade en masse.
SWI-II-III-II-PE!
In a single 360 degree spin Slade slashed all of the biscuits into pieces. An avalanche of gingerbread fell around axe-wielding villain.
Slade turned to Mother Mae-Eye, whose remaining Gingerbread army was too far away too help.
"Your turn, witch."
Mae-Eye looked about wildly. "Children? Help your mother!"
All the chairs in the room scraped back.
Slade's eyes widened as the Hive stood.
Mae-Eye cackled as the Hive advanced on Slade.
Slade stuck his axe end first into the cafeteria floor and took up a pose.
"Very well, our first… test." And with that Slade immediately took up the offensive. He kicked a chair into the air and then with a second kick he sent it flying across the room, knocking over a Cyclops in green and white.
A dozen identical guys in red charged. TH-TH-THAP! Slade punched, kicked and chopped his way through them, leaving them lying on the floor groaning.
Slade leapt onto a table, ran and jump-kicked a guy in purple robes who tried to stop him.
Gizmo charged up his laser rifles, aimed and BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! fired at Slade.
He somersaulted backwards over the blasts, landing in front of Mammoth. "RRRAAAAARRGH!" who punched, Slade ducked, gripped the bestial giant and flung him into Gizmo.
Jinx performed a side kick, which was blocked, another and another and another. She paused for just a second. Slade upper-cut her halfway across the room.
More purple-robed Hive members leapt at Slade. SMACK! He kicked one high. THWACK! Punched another in the chest.
A dizzying set of acrobatics, somersaults, flips, punches and kicks.
But still there were more.
Slade ran towards both Mother Mae-Eye and his axe, still embedded in the ground. Hive members leapt to stop him, CRUNCH! THAP! SMACK!
He leapt high over a line of them and finally got to his axe.
SHIIIIING!
It was pulled out of the ground. He turned to the Hive students, axe in hand. The youngsters he had already knocked down were already getting to their feet, albeit slowly. "Just to even the odds." He brought the axe up into a pose.
A yellow-armoured guy flung a shield at him, Slade blocked with the handle of his axe. This sent the shield into a swarm of Hive members. Slade leapt forward WHACK! The student went down. Lucky for him, Slade was using the handle of his axe… for now.
A robotic looking behemoth stalked up to Slade, who tripped the student sending him tumbling to the ground.
What looked like an alien charged at Slade who dodged a fist and brought his knee up into the assailants gut with a THUD!
Jinx again leapt at Slade, who caught her with the handle of his axe and flung her to the floor. "You've forced my hand…" Bringing the Blade of the axe down towards the petit girls neck…
THUD! Mother Mae-Eye flew in with her handbag to Slade's stomach. Slade flew across the room, SMASH! through two tables and several chairs. Just as he was getting to his feet THWACK! Another handbag shot to the face, and Slade flew into a wall. CRUNCH! Slade looked up, his faceplate almost falling to pieces.
Mother Mae-Eye advanced on him, handbag at the ready. "You come to MY home! Attack MY children! Destroy MY creations! The insolence! You need a good spanking my lad!" she cackled.
She raised her handbag once more, and brought it arcing down.
SLASH!
Slade had somehow managed to hold onto his huge axe, which he used to slice apart Mae-Eyes handbag. She stumbled back, scared.
Advancing on her menacingly he spoke, "Pitiful wretch…" He raised his weapon and Mae-Eye flew back.
She turned to her 'children' for support. "Who do you love children?" her high pitched voice wailed.
The injured HIVE students, still managed to chant back. "YOOOOUU."
From each of them emanated a pink smoke, which congealed around Mae-Eye, causing her to grow to gargantuan proportions.
Slade gripped his axe in both hands. "The bigger they are…"
"The harder YOU fall!" crooned Mae-Eye back. She advanced, behind her a veritable army of gingerbread men formed.
GRIP!
Mother Mae-Eye grabbed Slade with both hands, crushing him with all her might. His axe almost slipped from his grip. She lifted him up into the air.
"Hands. OFF!" Roared Slade, and with all his might he broke out of the witch's two huge hands.
As he fell, Slade swung his halberd out, twice, lightning fast.
SCHLINK! SPLUURCH! TH-THUD!
Slade landed in a pose, axe swinging out.
Mae-Eye's removed hands fell to the floor next to him.
The witch stumbled back in horror, her eyes widening. She screamed as she raised her bloody stumps of arms up to her three horror-filled eyes.
The HIVE students, eyes now devoid of any pink, looked at the handless Mother Mae-Eye in horror. Behind her, her army of gingerbread men crumbled. And all around her, the sugar, spice and everything nice, faded back into the normal HIVE cafeteria.
Mae-Eye screamed and screamed.
Slade stared at her with one, remorseless eye. He hefted the axe like a javelin aiming at Mae-Eye.
She was too involved with the blood pouring from her wrists to notice.
He flung the axe.
SPLORCH!
The third eye was pierced by the infernal axe.
PHWOOOOMB!
Mother Mae-Eye was engulfed by the flame of the axe.
And the burning witch went screaming to her grave.
Slade walked over to the corpse and retrieved his axe from the ashes.
"Sl-Slade?" Jinx walked cautiously behind the villain.
"I am your Headmaster. You will address me as such."
"Slade s-sir?"
"No … call me … Deathstroke."