Chapter 30
I am God...
Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, Terra, and Beast Boy stood in front of the elevator shaft B-6. However, Starfire was the one dragging her feet as neither she nor Raven had known about Robin's untimely demise, and the three who knew the truth we're trying to think of the best way to break it to them.
"We must find Robin first!" Starfire pressed.
"We can't." Cyborg said.
"Why not?" Starfire asked innocently, "Where is he?"
"Uh…" The three started as they were clueless as to how to put it in the best way.
"Just tell us." Raven said, "Put it, bluntly. What happened to Robin?"
Beast Boy then motioned for her to come closer. Raven did this, and Beast Boy whispered into her ear.
"Robin's dead." Beast Boy whispered.
Raven's eyes went wide with shock, and she realized why the group was dragging their feet with telling Starfire.
"Raven?" Starfire questioned, seeing her reaction, "What happened to Robin."
Raven looked at the alien princess and briefly went blank. However, she knew that there was no good way to put it to her that wouldn't hurt her, so Raven decided to just be blunt with it.
"Robin's dead." Raven stated.
Starfire stopped as she couldn't believe what she had just heard. She felt her heart shatter, her lips quiver, and tears form in her eyes.
"He… He can't!" Starfire said, "Robin couldn't! He-"
Starfire was cut off when Cyborg put a hand over her mouth to get her to stop.
"He is." Cyborg confirmed, "But we can't mourn now. We just don't have the time to. But if we don't want to end up like him, and let his sacrifice go in vain, then we have to keep pushing on."
Starfire forced herself not to cry, despite how much she wanted to. She wanted nothing more than to sob and wail as was customary to her people. However, she knew her friends were right. They had to keep moving if they wanted to find Wonder Girl and make it out alive.
Seeing that Starfire was going to hold back her tears, the team shifted their attention to the elevator shaft.
"Do you think she's down there?" Beast Boy asked, looking down the elevator shaft.
"This is our only clue." Raven said, "While I don't think she would listen to Wojtek, she may have been forced down there."
"Well, before we go down there, we're gonna need some weapons." Cyborg said.
"And where are we going to get them?" Terra asked.
"I'm sure there's got to be something down here." Cyborg said, "I know we've seen armed look-alikes. Just take out a few of them and steal their weapons."
"Or maybe we can find some." Starfire offered, "Let's have a little bit of a look around here first before we venture down there."
As the team began to search their level for weapons; meanwhile, Donna approached a small staircase going down. It was only twelve steps, and at the bottom was a door similar to the one she had crawled through to get here earlier. However, unlike the door she came in earlier, she saw no sign indicating what room she was about to enter.
Despite not seeing any physical signs, Donna felt extremely nervous about going down those stairs, far more than anywhere else in the facility. If she had to, she wouldn't be able to explain to anyone, but she could feel power emanating from the room behind the door. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before in her life.
Donna hesitated and looked back. She saw the hallway she had come down to get here and contemplated on going back. While she didn't feel safe at all down here, there was something inside her screaming and begging her not to go through that door.
Looking back at the door, however, Donna, just as she had done so many times since starting this adventure, put that feeling aside and forced herself to walk down the stairs. With each step, the power she felt coming from the room grew stronger and stronger, and by the time she reached the bottom, it felt almost nauseating.
Pushing that aside, Donna approached the door, and much to her surprise, it opened for her, revealing a dark room. At first, she thought it was an automatic door, however, saw no sensors anywhere.
Instead, much to her surprise, Daniel walked out of the room and stood in front of her. She took a step back, surprised to see him and that he had been the one to open the door. The two froze for a moment and made eye contact with each other. Donna expected Daniel to say something or do something. However, much to her surprise, he didn't.
Rather than make accusations or claims of anything, Daniel sidestepped Donna and made his way up the stairs she had just come down. Her eyes followed him, and as he passed her, she swore he had a small smile on his face. Not like the evil, sadistic one he had when he tormented her with his words, but a genuinely happy one. One a new parent would have when they first held their newborn baby.
Looking back at the door, Donna was surprised to see none other than Montezuma come walking out of the room as well. However, unlike Daniel, he didn't stop and acknowledge her presence. He also didn't share the same smile as Daniel did. In fact, his head was hung low as if he had just lost big in a poker game.
Seeing the two men who had spent months tormenting her just pass by her and not even acknowledge her existence was far more off-putting than if they had, and it made her nervous.
Looking back into the darkroom, Donna couldn't help but feel like she was standing at the end of a journey and that the door was the end of it. She also knew that once she walked through that door, there would be no turning back. Although she couldn't explain it, she knew she was at the end of the road.
Taking a deep breath, Donna felt that thing inside her that moments ago, been begging her not to go down these stairs, giving one final, all-out attempt to plea with her not to go into that room. It caused a brief moment of nausea for her. However, this didn't last long as Donna was quick to get herself under control.
With one final push, Donna began walking towards the door. Her legs felt heavy as that part of her body tried to force her back. However, she ignored it and entered the darkroom.
Upon walking in, the door shut behind her almost immediately, trapping her inside. She jumped slightly at this, letting out a small gasp as this did. However, she felt a title wave of fear wash over her when she heard a voice that sounded very similar to her's laugh from somewhere in the darkness.
"Finally." A voice said in the darkness that sounded exactly like her's, "You've arrived."
As if on cue, the lights in the room all came to life at once. This blinded Donna for a second as her eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light. And when they did, Donna laid eyes on some large metallic machine in the middle of the room. It looked like it was very old but well maintained. It wasn't on at that moment; however, Donna could tell it had been used recently.
"Donna Troy!" The Voice shouted, "Up here!"
Donna's blue eyes then shifted upwards to what appeared to be a throne sitting atop the machine. It was made of metal and matched the look of the machine under it. However, her eyes were locked on the person sitting in it.
The person sitting atop the throne looked like a smaller, weaker, and certainly less healthy version of herself. Her hair was cut much shorter than Donna's, much more closer to matching Raven's length. However, these were the only differences between the two as otherwise, she looked exactly like the young Amazonian exile.
"Welcome!" The Voice greeted her.
"Who are you!?" Donna demanded.
"Me?" The Voice asked, "You already know my name. Ernie told it to you earlier."
"Ernie?" Donna questioned herself.
Taking a quick moment to think, Donna's mind suddenly connected the dots.
"Claudia!?" Donna questioned.
"That's my name!" Claudia replied, "I'm glad you remember!"
Donna froze as she felt a title wave of different emotions run through her. Anger, sadness, pain, but most prominently, confusion, wash over her. She stared up at her smaller counterpart and awaited for them to begin speaking to see if they would answer more of her questions.
"About time you got here!" Claudia said, "I must say though, it has been so much fun luring you down here. Sending my minions to torment you and watching you suffer from a distance has been so much fun."
"Fun!?" Donna demanded, "You've had fun watching me suffer!?"
"I get off from it!" Claudia taunted her, "I get off from misery, pain, and suffering! Your's especially because of who you are."
"That's sick!" Donna shouted.
"Yeah, well, when you're a god like me, there really isn't anyone who can tell you otherwise."
"You're no god." Donna spat back.
"Am I?" Claudia questioned, "I'm sorry, but if I'm not a god, then you must be an atheist because I would put any one of your pathetic greek 'gods' to shame with what I can do!"
"And what is it that you can do?" Donna asked.
"I can warp the very fabric of reality to my choosing!" Claudia shouted.
"Sure." Donna brushed off in an attempt to show confidence.
"Oh, please." Claudia returned, "I don't need to prove myself to you! That's beneath me, just like your sister Diana!"
Donna was initially confused. However, this did not last long as suddenly, her older sister appeared. She was bruised, battered, and had fresh wounds on her body that were leaking a considerable amount of blood. She laid on her stomach, and her breath was strained and labored.
"Diana!" Donna shouted in panic as she quickly rushed over to her older sister.
"Donna…" Diana started but never finished in a very weak tone.
Donna rushed to her older sister's side and helped her up. Diana couldn't stand but could be on her knees with a lot of support. Support that Donna was more than willing to give.
"Donna." Diana weakly started, "Listen to me."
"What is it, sister?" Donna asked.
"You…" Diana started but ended up coughing blood.
As Diana coughed up the blood, Donna heard Claudia laughing in the background. Donna ignored this as she tried to help her sister get the blood out so it wouldn't choke her.
"Donna." Diana started as the last of the blood came out, "You've got to get the fuck out of this terrible place!"
"I'm not leaving you!" Donna stated as she threw one of Diana's arms around her shoulder, "Come on, we're-"
Donna was cut off when Diana suddenly vanished as fast as she appeared. The young exile couldn't believe her eyes as even the blood that Diana had just coughed up disappeared too, as if it were never there.
"Have I proven myself?" Claudia asked.
Donna felt a surge of anger swell through her. She stood up and spun around to face Claudia.
"Down." Claudia spoke.
Suddenly, Donna felt herself calm down. She didn't want to calm down. She wanted to be in a rage. However, for some reason, she could not get mad.
"Answer me." Claudia said.
"You are powerful." Donna admitted, "But how do I know that wasn't just an illusion! Like everything else down here!"
"You want to be angry, don't you?" Claudia teased, "Yet by lowering your anger limit to 5, you can't get mad about anything!"
"What are you talking about?" Donna asked as angry as she could.
Claudia laughed before responding, "Because I already told you I can warp reality! But you want to know how my powers work! That's adorable! Just like you!"
Donna didn't like how Claudia called her 'adorable.' There was so much off with how she said it. Donna felt a slight bit of disgust when she heard that.
"You see, Donna, I don't see the world the same way you do." Claudia started, "I see it more like a computer program."
"A computer program?" Donna questioned, unfamiliar with anything related to programming.
"I'll spare both of us the details, but the basic gist of it is, I can see things you can't! I have access to my own 'command box' as I call it, and with just a thought, I can enter a line of code and make things happen!"
As Claudia finished saying that, Donna felt her knees suddenly go weak, and she dropped.
"I can also change existing values as well!" Claudia taunted, "You see, everyone has what I call a 'character file.' In these is essentially everything that is you. Well, at least personality-wise. Physically, I'm still experimenting with that."
Donna then suddenly felt herself regain her strength. She stood up and faced Claudia again with as anger as she could muster.
"So, do you still doubt me?" Claudia asked, "Because Polybius never did."
Donna froze, her little bit of anger vanishing as that name hit her. Claudia smiled upon seeing the shocked expression on Donna's face.
"Bet you weren't expecting to hear that name!" Claudia teased.
"What does Polybius have to do with any of this!?" Donna asked.
"Oh Donna." Claudia said, "There's so much here you don't know about him that I do!"
"Like what!" Donna pushed.
"Well, for starters, your 'Polybius' was actually mine first!" Claudia spat, "When his experiment failed, he was allocated to me, for me!"
"What?" Donna asked, even more, confused by the statement.
"Perhaps a visual will help you understand." Claudia stated.
Suddenly, the room around Donna changed, and the room looked far better and newer than it had before.
"You see, this machine in front of you is referred to as 'Processor.' What Processor does is it intakes anything you put in one end, and spits it out on the other, changed then it was before. Sometimes, these are small and meaningless changes."
Donna then watched as a box was put in one side and came back out with just a small scratch on top.
"But on organic organisms, this has a profound impact on them." Claudia followed up.
Donna then watched as a man she couldn't identify, get thrown into the machine, and when he was spat out, he became the blade armed mutant that she had seen earlier. However, instead of being covered in metal like he was, only his arm and face had changed.
"However, if you are not happy with the result you got, you can throw it in again." Claudia explained.
Donna then watched as the blade armed mutant was thrown in again and came out looking exactly like the one she had encountered earlier.
"This leads us to experiment 1453." Claudia said, "You see, no matter how many times someone gets put through this machine, and no matter how much pain they're in, they don't die. However, the scientist here wanted to be sure of that."
Donna then looked over and saw what she at first assumed was a look-alike getting dragged across the room and thrown into the machine.
"That was Polybius." Claudia explained, "The idea behind experiment 1453 was to see just how many times someone could go through the machine before they would die."
Donna watched as Polybius stumbled out of the machine and had a seizure. However, the scientist around him ignored his pain and threw him in again.
"Polybius would ultimately go through this machine 7,734,666 times. Now, if that isn't an omen, I don't know what is. But that besides the point! What is important is what was happening to me!"
Donna then watched as Claudia was put through the machine.
"At first, they believed that the machine had no effects on females as it did nothing to us." Claudia began, "However, that was until I began playing around with my power. I demonstrated just how powerful I was, so the authorities decided to come up with a plan to keep me in check."
The world then transitioned to a holding cell where Claudia and Polybius were sitting together playing a card game.
"What they did is they used Polybius as leverage against me! They made us become friends, and I fell in love with him! They used this against me and would take Polybius away if I misbehaved." Claudia went on, "However, one time, I had enough and decided to unleash absolute hell."
Donna then saw a long hall of containment cells. All of the doors suddenly opened, and all of the mutants Donna had seen thus far, and many she hadn't attack.
"I ordered all of the mutants to fight for their freedom!" Claudia said.
Donna was then shown how the mutants had slaughtered every single person they got their hands on. She watched as even Polybius took part in the slaughter, using his back tentacles to rip apart a team of security guards.
"And when the dust had settled, and the killing finally ceased, we stood victorious!" Claudia explained, "Which meant I had Polybius all to myself!"
The world then turned back to the present, and Donna looked up at Claudia again.
"So, as you can see, I love Polybius." Claudia said, "More than you, or anyone else!"
"Then why did he leave?" Donna asked.
"Because he didn't know he had it better with me!" Claudia returned.
As those words left Claudia's mouth, Donna could feel the insanity emanating off her. Donna knew there was a lot more to the story that she wasn't telling. And Donna knew that it was during his time with her that he became who he was.
"I gave him everything." Claudia babbled on, "I gave him the world! Literally, anything he could have wanted, I could give him! But he up and leaves me! After all of the love I gave him!"
Suddenly, things began to click in Donna's mind. Donna realized that because Claudia got off from torture and tormenting people, it was more than likely, she targeted Polybius. And for years, Polybius had to have lived her tyrannical rule because, despite how powerful he was, he was helpless against her.
"He abandoned me!" Claudia cried.
"That doesn't sound like Polybius." Donna corrected, "What did you do to him that made him want to leave you? How did you express your love?"
"He was resistant." Claudia admitted, "However, I can't bring myself to alter Polybius's character file too much. At least in ways that would make him radically different. However, I still wanted him to accept my love!"
"What did you do to him?" Donna asked.
"Well… I suppose you would call it rape." Claudia said, "But I call it tough love."
Donna felt sick to her stomach upon hearing those words. She couldn't believe that this monster had hurt Polybius so severely and in such a disgusting way.
"And as you know already, I get off from pain and torture, so you know things get very kinky with me!" Claudia added in.
"Shut up!" Donna ordered, mustering up all the anger she could.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Claudia warned.
Donna then felt blood begin rushing out of her nose. She covered it as Claudia went back to babbling on about how much she loved Polybius.
"I can't believe he left me." Claudia said, "Twice!"
"Well, I don't think Polybius liked being raped and tortured." Donna said.
"But he loved me!" Claudia said, "And I forgave him the first time."
"Did you punish him?" Donna asked.
"Of course!" Claudia said, "But then he left me again and became a hero!"
"Because he didn't want what happened to him to happen to other people." Donna stated.
"That's what he said." Claudia confirmed, "But I wanted him back! So I devised a plan to kill two birds with one stone."
"Two birds?" Donna asked.
"Yes!" Claudia said, "Get Polybius back, and finally take care of you!"
"Me?" Donna asked, "What do I have to do with this?"
"Look at me." Claudia ordered, "We look the same, yes?"
"Well, you are a bit smaller." Donna pointed out.
"That's Processor's fault." Claudia said, "But tell me, where did you come from?"
"I don't know." Donna said, "I was rescued by Diana when my house burned down as a child, and my parents were killed in the flames."
"No, no, no, before that." Claudia said, "Where were you born?"
"I… don't know." Donna admitted.
"Well, you were born here!" Claudia said, "You are a clone of me, and Polybius is a clone of his original!"
"Clones?" Donna asked.
"How else did you think these scientists were able to hide this mass human experimentation from the world?" Claudia asked, "They took two children from the Burehing Adoption Center and brought them here. It was here they started a mass cloning project. However, the original male died a long time ago, leaving only me and my handful of clones as well as the seemingly endless quantity of his."
"That doesn't prove anything!" Donna said.
"I'm getting to that part!" Claudia said, "For you see, you were created for Doctor Jeff, who retired from this project a year before we broke free. However, he wanted a normal daughter, something he never had. And so, came you!"
"Me?" Donna asked.
"You see, Donna, unlike Polybius or any of these other clones, you weren't created to be fully grown. You were created to have grown like a human child. Ironically, you and Polybius also came off the line at the exact same time. However, when Polybius came off his, he was like all his brothers down here, came out fully grown and immune from aging." Claudia explained.
"So I was supposed to be a gift?" Donna said.
"You were supposed to be, yes." Claudia said, "However, when I took control, I ended all of my clones as I didn't want to risk anyone usurping me! So, I ordered all of them to be killed, and they all were. Except for you!"
"And I survived because Doctor Jeff took me?" Donna asked.
"Yes." Claudia said, "However, I'm not one to leave loose ends lying around, so once I figured out where you were, I dispatched a mutant to burn your house down, killing both you and Jeff!"
"But you didn't get me!" Donna said.
"Nope!" Claudia said, "However, when Diana took you, and you became an Amazon on Paradise Island, I accepted this. As I thought you were going to stay put on that island for the rest of time, and never be a threat to me!"
"Okay…" Donna said, "But when Montezuma kidnapped me, you changed your mind."
"Actually, I orchestrated that." Claudia said with an evil and insane smile.
Donna went blank when she heard that. However, thinking back to Montezuma, and realizing that he was a clone too, made her realize that Claudia had ordered the attack on Paradise Island.
"You see, if you go way back to the beginning of this little adventure when Polybius was playing a video game for the first time, I told him to come back to me. He should have listened, and you would have been spared."
"It's not Polybius's fault this happened!" Donna returned.
"It is!" Claudia said, "If he had just stayed here, none of this would have happened! The original Montezuma would have continued to do his thing, and you would be safe and sound on your home island."
"Original?" Donna asked.
"Oh, I didn't create Montezuma. He was already there." Claudia said, "I pretended to be his 'Sun God' so he'd listen to me. However, he wasn't quite doing what I wanted him to, so I disposed of him and replaced him with a clone. From there, I ordered him to antagonize Polybius and kidnap you."
"Why me?" Donna asked, "I thought you were fine with me on Paradise Island?"
"I was." Claudia said, "However, I knew that if I wanted Polybius back, I had to show him that the outside world was worse than the one I gave him! So I used you to pull at his heartstrings so he would come back to me!"
"But why me?" Donna asked again.
"You were the perfect person!" Claudia said, "I knew that if I had Montezuma torture you, and then Polybius drop in and save you, that you would slowly fall for him because he could relate to you on a level that no one else could! You would see him as a source of comfort and protection, and seek out to not only try to reunite with him but eventually, fall in love with him to be with him! And I did so much to make this happen."
"Like what?" Donna asked.
"Well, firstly, I kept your mother's eyes off you while you went and played hero." Claudia started, "Better yet, when Polybius first saved you, I made sure Wonder Woman was occupied so you two could spend a lot of time together and grow close over those first few weeks! I was the one who got you two together!"
"And Polybius?" Donna asked.
"I made sure that Polybius would also have feelings for you by sending two mutants, that only he could see, to talk to him, and remind him that as he also fell for you, that he couldn't do a relationship! You two were supposed to fall in love with each other!" Claudia shouted.
Donna fought back tears as she began thinking that what she felt for Polybius was a lie. That she didn't love Polybius because she wanted to, but because she was forced to.
"But I genuinely love Polybius." Donna said to herself, "I choose to love Polybius! Right?"
"Yes." Claudia said, "I didn't alter you in any way to force you to love him. I just set it up to make it happen! And before you ask, yes, Polybius chose to love you as well."
Donna felt a wave of relief wash over her as she learned that she wasn't forced to love Polybius. However, she then paused when her mind began thinking about the second part.
"Wait." Donna said, "Polybius loved me?"
"He did." Claudia said, "He did fall in love with you."
"Thank the gods." Donna said with a huge sigh of relief.
"Sure, thank them." Claudia mocked.
"But wait!" Donna said, "If Polybius loved me, then why did he say 'no' when I asked him out."
"I made sure he wasn't going to say yes!" Claudia said, "The truth is, when you asked him, you weren't asking him. You asked me. And I refuse to let my Polybius fall into your hands! So I went ahead and answered that question for him, and said no."
"You bastard!" Donna shouted, mustering up as much anger as she could.
"Yes! Go ahead!" Claudia said, "Get angry!"
Donna then suddenly felt a massive surge of rage rush through her body. It happened so quickly it was almost nauseating, but she kept herself together.
"You fucking bitch!" Donna shouted.
"Yes, I am!" Claudia said, "Thank you for recognizing that!"
"How dare you!" Donna spat you, "How dare you abuse Polybius, use me, and all for what!?"
"Donna!" The voice of Cyborg came up behind her.
Looking back, Donna saw Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Terra come rushing into the room. They all had crude, metal plate armor and even cruder weapons. However, all their weapons had fresh blood on them, indicating they had been used recently. The bloodstains on their uniforms also helped reinforce this idea.
"Guys!" Donna shouted, "I found the person who's behind all of this! That 'greater power' you all were talking about!"
"Yes, you have!" Claudia confirmed.
"Here!" Cyborg said, offering her a sword, "Take this!"
"Oh, I like where this is going!" Claudia said as Donna took the sword, "But first, I need to get to the best part!"
"Best part?" Donna asked.
"Yes!" Claudia said, "You see, the best part was, the only reaction I had to spice up was your's Donna! Everyone elses' was genuine!"
"What is she talking about?" Beast Boy asked.
"When Polybius rejected me." Donna answered.
"And what a wonderful show you all put on!" Claudia said, "And while I did spice up your initial reaction Donna, the fact that you ignored him for as long as you did was all you! I didn't touch that! You all treated Polybius like shit, just like I knew you all would."
"Yes, we did treat Polybius horribly after the rejection, which led to his suicide!" Raven confirmed, "What does that have to do with now!"
"Now?" Claudia asked, "Now, I want revenge! I want revenge on all of you for treating MY Polybius the way you all did for years! Because most of that wasn't me! Most of that was all you assholes!"
"Shut up!" Beast Boy shouted.
"Now hold on." Claudia said, "Did one of you actually die on the way here?"
"Yes, Robin's dead." Cyborg confirmed.
"Not anymore." Claudia said.
Suddenly, Robin, alive and well, appeared.
"I want a full team for this." Claudia said.
"Robin!" The team shouted as they rushed to greet him.
"What happened?" Robin asked.
"You got killed on the way here!" Claudia answered for them, "Now, now, let's rush past this so I can carry on with the full set here."
Everyone's attention shifted away from Robin and back to Claudia as they were asked because Claudia forced them to skip the 'happy to see Robin alive again reunion' part and act as if he had never died.
"Now, as I said, I want revenge for how everyone has treated Polybius!" Claudia said, "Wonder Woman assaulted my precious Polybius! Donna, you've seen what I've done to her!"
"But why do this!?" Robin demanded, "Polybius is dead!"
"Is he?" Claudia asked.
Suddenly, Processor's exit doors opened, and out from them walked Polybius.
And there you have it! Chapter 30! I have been really excited to write this part, and I really hope you enjoyed it! Please don't be afraid to let me know what you think about this chapter, and as always, have a good one!
