Part 2: Clear and Present Danger
"The Adamant King?" Slade echoed, unable to keep the tone of wonder from his voice. He sat once again in his throne of metal, looking upon his newest associate, "No, I admit that I have not. What is it?"
Saevan laughed, and replied, "Well, I could give you a rather lengthy discourse on its history, how I can to possess that said knowledge, and where exactly I came from. But, for brevity's sake, I shall tell you this: the Adamant King is an artifact of such power, that once unveiled and firmly in your grasp, this world and countless others would be yours for the taking!"
Slade glared at Saevan with his one visible eye, not truly sure if he had heard Saevan right. Countless worlds? As a criminal mastermind of some power, he had only dreamed of dominating a single world, Earth. But, this hint that others were out there, was intriguing. Still, there was something about this deal that didn't sit right with the cold megalomaniac. Having spun his share of deceitful webs and intricate plots, he could smell when ulterior motives were kept under the surface. "Saevan, this offer of yours, it is truly extraordinary. If this Adamant King is as powerful as you say, and you know its exact location, why do you not make use of it yourself? Surely one such as you, with all your power, should be able to make better use of the artifact than I?"
Saevan's countenance took on grave appearance and he turned his back to Slade, revealing just how comfortable he had become in his presence, or how impotent he perceived Slade to be. Slade couldn't be sure which was it. "A good question, my friend. I knew you'd find it strange that I should offer this thing to you, as well as you should. After all, I could use the artifact. In fact, I have, once before. But, there was a set back..." His voice trailed off as his hands clenched and unclenched convulsively, and it seemed to Slade that the strange young man was reliving unpleasant memories by the way he seemed to tremble. An overwhelming sense of pure, malicious power began to build in the room, until Saevan seemed to remember himself. He turned back to Slade with his impertinent smirk, fast becoming familiar, back on his lips. "Anyway, as I was saying, I have used it before. By the nature of the artifact, those who cannot wield it are rejected and can never use it again. The consequences of attempting to defy this rule are more horrible than the most gruesome deaths you can imagine!"
"Then, what makes you think I can wield it, if you could not?" Slade inquired, thinking perhaps he had better quit while he could. He was secure in his power, but if Saevan, who was obviously more than human, couldn't control this Adamant King, how could he? After all, for all his narcissism, he was still mortal.
Saevan replied, "Ah, another perfectly valid question! I could not wield the Adamant King because I was inexperienced at the time, and because I had no one to assist me in marshaling its potential. You, Slade, are fortunate. You will be far more experienced than I was, and you have me to assist you when it comes time to assert your control. However, I should inform you that I will also be getting something out of this deal."
"But of course, I understand entirely." Slade replied, feeling pride in his abilities to read people. He knew that Saevan would ask for something in return. "Just name what you wish, and I shall see to it that you receive your just compensation."
Saevan turned to look at Slade, a grave expression upon his face. "Will you, now? That remains to be seen. For, what I wish above all things is to be rid of a nuisance that has plagued my existence. There is someone you must kill, Slade. An individual who matches my power and skill, who seems to be content in acting as my foil in all my endeavors. When he perceives of my presence here on this world, he will come. He always does."
Slade's eye widened with shock momentarily, but he blinked to hide his uncharacteristic show of emotion. Another as strong as Saevan? Was it possible? Slade felt an ambiguous mixture of intrigue and trepidation swirl in his gut and touch his mind. How many of Saevan's ilk were there? Could they be swayed to serve, or at least pledge an alliance to, Slade's cause? The possibilities of having more than one associate as powerful as Saevan were endless. But, it was best to be prudent. After all, he didn't intend to fully trust this strange young man, who seemed much more than he appeared. "If that is all you wish in return, so be it. When this... individual... arrives, I will personally bring you his head on a platter!"
"We shall see, Slade." Saevan allowed, and then made a gesture in the air with one hand. The Onyx Grimoire rose from where it had sat on the metal platform and floated before its master. With another gesture, Saevan commanded the book to open to its chapters of arcane lore. There, he searched until he found what he was looking for, then uttered a word unintelligible to Slade's ears. The book gave forth a flash of light and there, hovering before Slade was an image of a long, silvery-white rod adorned with a sort of sculpted head. Gazing intently upon the shimmering image as if suddenly mesmerized, Slade inquired, "What is this?"
Saevan nodded to the image and, by way of explanation, said, "This is the Sceptre of the Adamant King, an artifact forged by the Idaltu caste of the ancient Solvani aeons ago. It was crafted so that whoever possessed it could locate the Shaper's Forgeworks, the resting place of the Adamant King. It was buried in an ancient temple on this world, and it was recovered by what your people call archaeologists. It resides now in a sub-basement vault at the Jump City Historical Society of Antiquities. We must acquire it as our first step towards our ultimate goal. To that end, send some of your machine minions to seize it and bring it here."
"My dear Saevan, what makes you thing such a simple plan will succeed? Have you not heard of this city's adolescent guardians, the Teen Titans? They will surely intercept my minions, as you call them, and defeat them. However, if we had a diversion, then I am certain that the Titans would not be a problem." Slade replied, silently wondering in the back of his mind if Saevan was truly that stupid. How could he not know that there would always be a complication? Nothing was ever as simple as it looked!
But, Saevan only made another gesture, and the Onyx Grimoire's yellowed pages began to flip wildly. His eyes tracked through the changing script, obviously searching for a spell or something of the sort. Finally, the pages stopped, and his eyes were fixed on the image of a large, wicked looking monster covered in chains, sporting an armored hide and wielding a heavy, blood-stained mattock. Saevan smiled evilly and began to chant in a thoroughly inhuman voice...