4
Something bleeped on her watch. For a second, Teleka assumed it was just the hourly alarm that kept Blue Moon up every night. Then the familiar sound of her danger alarm kicked in. "Damn it," she muttered, heaving herself up with great effort. "The one night I don't want to bother my a-"
The Tower's alarm had started up as well, bringing everyone rushing into control central again. "What's happening? What'd I miss?" Teleka yawned as she realized any trace of laughter had faded from the room.
"Telly, don't turn round," Blue Moon whispered softly, almost fearfully to her, with a fair idea that Teleka would automatically spin to the screens behind her. For once though, she didn't. The only fair idea she had was of who was on those screens. The next voice she heard confirmed her fears.
"Let her turn. Let her see what she's done."
'Slade,' she mouthed noiselessly, turning to face whatever horror she had brought about, in no doubt that it was something to do with her brother.
"I believe you already know that your brother belongs with me now, and I know that's not what you want for him. So I propose a deal,"
"Why am I hating our arrangement already?" she muttered sarcastically, fully on her guard because of the ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Slade wouldn't want money or items, or anything else that she could use against him. He wanted her.
"I will let your brother go, just as I did for you, if you will return to fill his place."
"I expected as much. I'll have to think about it."
"Take your time. But in two hours, your brother could find himself facing a very nasty accident. I trust you'll have made a decision by then." The picture flickered off screen and all eyes turned to Teleka. Even through the seriousness of the situation, she could have laughed. Inside all of their heads there was only one question: "Will she do it?"
"Well, I don't see what other choice I have. I can't let my brother meet his little accident. I got out before; I'll do it again."
"Slade said he let you go before. What's that all about?" Venom asked worriedly. Teleka had been to the edge and back where the Bad Guy Side was concerned. Slade had had time to size her up. He could use every little part of her in blackmail.
"It was a, uh, mutual decision. Really he just wanted somebody on the outside who he could use like this, but I couldn't pass the opportunity up. I'm sorry. I dragged you all into this."
"Don't apologize. I've got an idea," Beast Boy proclaimed proudly.
"Ideas require thought. Did it hurt?" Raven muttered cynically.
"No. What if we bug Teleka so we can see and hear everything that's going on? That way we can bust in and take Slade out when we get a weak spot."
"You think he won't check for that? The kind of bugs we'd need are far too obvious. Plus, I don't like the idea of being turned into Cy!"
"What!" Cyborg raged, taking undisguised offence at the remark.
"It's nothing personal, but metals just aren't a great look for me."
"Oh, well, what if the bugs were internal? Would that work?" Cyborg added, seemingly appeased.
"I don't know, probably. Do you have any?"
"Indeed I do, built especially for such an occasion. A two-way inner ear piece," he proclaimed proudly. "We'll be able to hear you, you'll be able to hear us."
"Good for me," Teleka sassed, turning and walking away. "Another Christmas at Chez Slade." Her favourite day of the year was coming up in three days. The chances that she would be out in time were slim, unless the weak spot came up really soon. "I'll be back in a minute."
Twenty minutes later, Raven found her in her room, pulling something from the closet she had temporarily made her own. Sensing Raven's presence, Teleka wiped away the last of her tears and finally brought herself to tear the thing out of the wardrobe by the hanger and let it fall to the floor. Just touching it made her remember all the things she'd done. And remember too that some of them were things she had enjoyed.
"Don't tell anyone I still have that, 'k?" she whispered shakily. Raven lifted the garment with her powers and laid it flat on the bed.
"Not a soul," she murmured in reply, staring down at the red and black Slade uniform. "Like you said, some things are hard to let go of."
Another twenty minutes later, and the inner earpiece was fully installed. Itchy, but invisible, it had gotten Teleka thinking. What if she was all darkness somewhere inside? What if going back here only made her realize it? And what if, after fighting it all this time, she finally gave in?
"I need you to promise me something," she burst out urgently. "Have Blue monitor every word I say. I'll be lying to Slade the whole time. If you hear a single word of the truth that you don't like, stop it. Don't come in and I'll get myself out of it. Promise me!" she yelled, almost hysterically.
"Whoa, Telly. We promise, ok?" Venom said soothingly, pushing her down onto the sofa. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm just... scared to death!!! What do you think is wrong with me?"
"Come now Teleka, there's no need to be scared." Slade's voice emanated from the surround sound speakers, and rolling her eyes, Teleka turned to face him on the screens.
"You're early. What do you want?" she snapped irritably.
"Your decision. Your freedom, or your brother's?"
"His. Will I make my own way there or will you have me delivered just like last time?"
"No, I trust you. Be here by tomorrow morning." And just like that, he was gone again.
"I really, really hate the way he does that. I'm going to get Elena ready for the morning." She stood and left the room slowly and tiredly, as if she was trying to put across how much she didn't want to do this. She couldn't sacrifice her brother and she couldn't sacrifice the chance to bring Slade down. But somewhere inside she knew it was a trap, and hadn't said anything. She just wasn't going to let her friends walk into it too.
"Who is Elena?" Starfire asked innocently.
"Her damn bike," Blue answered ruefully. The group had begun to drift away, nothing and noone keeping them in this room anymore. Raven hovered off after Teleka, finally catching up to her as she reached the basement garage. Parked not far from the Teen Car and the R-cycle, was a sleek black machine she had never seen before. Elena, she guessed.
"Nice transport," Raven commented, running a hand over the red detailing and chrome bars.
"You should have seen her when I found her. An absolute wreck. But there was definitely potential there and I rebuilt her. My Elena."
"Yeah, what's with the name?"
"Elena was the mother I never knew, but she left me her powers, and I had to thank her somehow. I guess I let her down in a whole lot of ways." She drifted off, staring into space as if she were a million miles away, spinning her dark helmet between her hands.
"You're flashing back. What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
"Lie!" declared Blue Moon, who had just entered. Teleka rolled her eyes disdainfully. All she'd wanted was two minutes on her own. Well, two hours may have been better, but that had been too much to hope for.
"You don't have to start until I get there, Blue."
"But, I'm practicing."
"Here's a tip. Don't!" Throwing her helmet to the floor, Teleka stormed out and soared upwards, hoping to find some sort of peace on the roof up around the storm clouds that were wheeling overhead. Flashes of lightning flickered in the sky, and thunder drowned out any other noise. The rain was yet to start. Hard to think that an hour ago, she had been absolutely beaming. Now she was at a point even beyond crying. Hopelessness. She wouldn't let them follow her into a trap, and she would do anything to prevent that.
With a deep sigh she fell back onto the cold cement rooftop, not knowing exactly what to do. She had believed that once she got away from Slade, she would never have to return to the lifestyle. But here she was going back again. Away from warmth and light, and back into blood and tears. Just like she always had done.
A shaft of orange light from inside fell across her face as the door to the rooftop was opened, almost reminiscent of the old black and orange clothing she'd probably be facing up to pretty soon. Teleka moaned and shook her head. Was there no escape from her friends? For once her mood didn't change when she saw it was Robin. "What is it?" she sighed wearily. She wasn't really in the mood for a heart to heart right now.
"So I can't come onto my own roof now?" Teleka rolled her eyes at the blatantly obvious gag. "Alright, alright. I just wanted to see how you are. It can't be easy."
"You don't say?"
"So you're scared then?"
"Scared? Me? Nah. I'm freakin' petrified," she murmured regretfully.
"I know what you're trying to do. You think you can trick us into leaving you, so we won't walk into it."
"Into what?" Telly asked innocently, trying to hide the fact that her whole plan had just flowed off his tongue. Even though the mask hid his eyes, she could tell they were turned sky high. "OK, but how did you figure that out?"
"He's using your brother. He just wants you to use as bait to take the rest of us. But we won't leave you. I don't think Blue Moon would let us."
"You wouldn't let us either, mate!" came Blue's distinctive, London accent, "So don't even try to pull that cr-" She was abruptly silenced by Teleka holding her mouth shut and floating her down to the ground outside the tower, locked out and not exactly wishing to return to the rooftop.
"See, I wasn't the only one who figured out the plan."
"Yes, actually, you were. Blue eavesdropped the whole conversation, so if you don't mind I have to get in her head and make her forget. And, uh, you're next." She dropped her head, her eyes casting red beams on the ground, as she began to scramble Blue's memory of the last few minutes. She rarely used her ability to mess with other people's heads. It was just wrong, but this was an emergency. She moved straight to Robin's, hoping he wouldn't notice, but was rudely interrupted.
'Wouldn't you rather have one person who knew what was going on?' he thought, speaking straight to her mind.
'You'll figure it out again,' she replied easily, but the one thing about telepathy is that you can't hide your feelings.
"Telly, I promise I won't go in if you think it would be better," he said aloud, cradling the side of her face. He wouldn't have been if he'd realized that Raven, Blue Moon and Starfire were watching over the edge of the building, and Venom, Cyborg and Beast Boy were looking in from a crack in the door.
"That's the one thing I always hated about you. You're a hothead! You'll say that, and then when it comes down to it you'll walk everyone right in, trying to play the hero. Then again... one thing I always loved was that you never go back on a promise." Slight gasps and rolled eyes all around from those in the shadows.
"The last bit was good but what do you mean, 'play the hero!' I do not play the hero." And yet again, they both missed the stifled laughter surrounding them.
"Ha! That's the best laugh I've had all week. But if it annoys you so much, then tell me what you hate about me."
"You're too much of a loner," he replied, maybe a little too quickly. "You rely too much on yourself and tend to abandon people and isolate yourself because you're afraid other people'll get hurt. And you don't need to be like that."
"You had that planned, didn't you? So what do you love about me?"
"The rest." Possibly the quickest answer she'd ever heard, practically before the words had left her mouth, Teleka stared up bewildered, biting back the urge to squeal like a pathetic schoolgirl. Blue Moon however, did no such thing. She started off giggling uncontrollably, but with in seconds she was screeching like a hyena. It wasn't long before bad mimics and more laughter emerged. Teleka stood up, stalked to the edge and looked first out at the hovering Blue with fires raging in her already red eyes and then down at the slight smile of Raven and Starfire's shocked look. Slightly ashamed, she pulled her glare back to Blue and took off.
"You. Fly, now!" Still in hysterics, the cockney hyena started to soar away and Teleka gave chase, running off a little of her anger.
Raven and Starfire slid inside via the panoramic front window, avoiding the scene on the roof. Three against one wasn't usually good odds, but with Robin in his current mood, the odds were pretty much stacked against the other three.
"Now, Robin," Cyborg began, sweating considerably. "There is a perfectly good explanation as to why everyone was up at the roof at the exact same time you wanted a little privacy with Teleka before she goes off to possibly sacrifice herself. There really is!"
"I'm waiting for it." Robin stood, utterly not amused with his arms folded and glaring. Cyborg (for once) found himself at a loss for a snappy comeback. So, and this maybe not being the wisest decision happening, Beast Boy broke in.
"Oh Teleka!" he mimicked flamboyantly, throwing his arms around Venom, who in his best (yet still pretty damn terrible) impression of Teleka replied 'Oh Robin.' But when the sharp edge of a birdarang lodged in the wall behind them, there was a note in the air that it just might be the right time to leave.
"Oh, you had better run," Robin quipped before he took off after them.
Meanwhile, somewhere over Jump City, Teleka was preparing to turn back, grimly reminding herself of all the things she needed to do in the next few hours. She turned, and immediately wished she hadn't. Down below, her brother was running across the rooftops, with a shimmering new katana at his back. And unfortunately, he'd spotted her.
"This used to be your gig, sis!" he hollered upward. "Sure you don't want to join in?"
"I just saved your skin, Tom, and probably sacrificed my own to do so. Do not get on my bad side, because as of tomorrow, this is my gig again."
"Yeah, sure," he scoffed, drawing the sword and holding it ready. "Let's get this over with," he murmured, keeping a stronger grip this time for fear of loosing another weapon to Teleka's powers. The other currently lay in two pieces below the camp bed in her room. He wasn't, however, counting on a blue blur doing about five times the speed limit rushing in to grab it. Teleka felt the weighted handle drop into her waiting palm and laughed gratefully.
"Gracias, Blue!"
"Not a problem, mate. Kick his arse!"
Teleka turned to her brother with a playful glint in her eyes. "Like you said, let's get this over with. Like she said, I'll kick your arse." Using the katana with her powers, so it was more like a fifth limb, she swiped it at him, launching into a fury of kicks and punches, perfectly coordinated to match his own. It was just like in one of her video games: it was a case of who made the first mistake.
But again, like her video games, she was being manipulated. In a few minutes, she was up against the edge of the roof. Had he forgotten she could fly? Swipe landed a heavy kick in the centre of her chest, forcing her over but she flipped gymnastically and grappled with the edge. "Why are you doing this? You're free, you can go!" she shouted in frustration, driving the sword in between the tiles of the roof to use as a handhold.
"But I don't want to." Swipe snatched up the katana before she could get a hand on it and slammed the flat of the blade across the knuckles. Even as Teleka was forced to let go, her powers went on autopilot and pulled her into the air again. "Say goodnight," she whispered, soaring towards him. She swept past in a burst of power and returned the kick, sending him straight to Blue's waiting arms.
"Stop struggling, mate," sighed her friend. "You know you're done in."
"So you see, I don't know what you have against me," Teleka told the projected image of Slade in front of her, quite matter-of-factly, stepping aside to show her brother, looking considerably beaten and held to a chair by the glowing Raven.
"Oh I do," he replied slickly. "You see, the 'accident' I was taking about earlier is on the inside. And I will kill him. From the inside, out." A collective gasp went up through the Titans. They all knew Slade was capable of it. And they all knew how much it hurt.
"That's not possible," Teleka muttered, looking away in humiliation and knowing full well that it was.
"Would you like me to demonstrate?"
"No! No, I'll come. Just give me a few hours." A minute spider, Beast Boy, rested on the power button of the television, and suddenly grew, the insect becoming the usual green visage and the extra weight causing the screen to turn off. Noone knew quite what to say. Teleka had known she shouldn't get her hopes up, known Slade always had another trick up his sleeve. Now she just felt utterly hopeless for ever believing she could get out of it. "Looks like I'm going. See y'all sometime. And I will be back. Meanwhile, get those goddamn probes out of my brother. And speaking of you..." She stalked over to her brother and slapped him backhand across the face, so hard it even stung her.
"You love me all the same."
"Sometimes I wonder. If I ever see your lying, cheating, treacherous face here again, or anywhere within five hundred feet of me again, for that matter, it will not happen twice, because I will pummel your face beyond recognition. Am I clear?"
"Crystal, sis. Now I wouldn't keep the boss waiting." Something about his cool flippant manner worried her.
She turned and began to walk out of the room, snatching up her backpack as she went. "Don't let him out of your sight. Goodbye!" And in a heartbeat she was gone and the noise of a revving engine could be heard. Goodbyes didn't matter, she always had the earpiece.
A few hours later, after numerous detours and long ways, Teleka skidded the bike to a stop outside the huge complex. "Deja freakin' vu," she muttered under her breath as she walked up to the main entrance.
"You don't usually take so long. Out of gas?" Slade's voice startled her just the tiniest bit as the heavy door swung open, but she didn't let it show.
"What can I say? I've never had to make so many goodbyes before."
"Good to see you haven't changed anyway."
"I have changed a lot more than you seem to think. The only reason I'm here is my brother and the fact that you have me in a vice. A vice I will get out of in the end, just like always."
"I don't think you realize how little you've changed Teleka. You're focused, protective, and you do nothing in halves. And no matter how much you try to deny it, you are still dark in there somewhere. But right now, you can just ignore that, because you have to focus on getting back in training." Just the sight of him made her so angry, knowing he was right made her absolutely furious. Even through her thick leather gloves her pointed nails bit into quaking palms.
Following the half-shadowed form of the crime lord through the complex until all the familiarity of the place came rushing back to her like the plot of a bad dream. And with sudden fear she knew where she was being taken. "No. Not now, please. No! I haven't done anything except what you told me."
"You have to remember whose side you're on."
"No! No, I know whose side I'm on. Yours! It's all evil in me, totally black. You know that, right? Don't do this!!!"
"Just to be on the safe side." Only one place could make Teleka so afraid, and make her show it. There was nothing particularly terrible about that single room. It was completely dark, soundproof, stiflingly hot, choking air and the sunken floor was filled up with icy water. But that was it. No killers in the dark, no poison in the air, just a deafening silence and the feeling of intense isolation. In one last-ditch attempt to save herself the horrors, she slammed the door ahead of her with her powers. "Or there is one other option..."
"Anything!!! Within reason... but, uh, anything!!!"
"Let them rescue you," he spat sadistically. "When the time comes, let them walk into the trap."
"What trap?" she asked in her most innocent-and-shocked voice, but he could tell she was lying. He had taught her how to do it. As much as she sensed the test, Teleka couldn't allow herself to be drawn into it. Opening the heavy door into the isolation chamber again, she stepped inside, the first time she'd ever done so (she was usually dragged or thrown.) It wasn't like her to let one thing get to her so much, but being in there seemed to bring out the old remnants of darkness in her soul. It made her think only about what she had enjoyed, and why she didn't hate herself for it. "You can never make me forget them," she stated coolly. "What my friends have given me, you can't take it away."
"You can't possibly tell me you loved every single minute. Or that you hated every minute here."
"No. No I guess I can't." It was the truth, and Teleka wasn't the only one that noticed. Blue traced it, and even from the look on her face, so did everyone else...
This time, Teleka had something to keep her sane stepping into the chamber.
'Anybody there?' she sent out with her telepathy, aiming for any of her friends. 'What's happening?'
"You don't want to know," replied Blue and Raven collectively.
'Obviously by the way you just said that, I do."
"It's your bro, mate," Blue told her hesitantly. "We got slightly distracted and currently he's wrecking and slashing his way to the window. And, um, so far, he's just escaped."
'Go after him!" Teleka shouted into her head, all the stress in her manifesting with her silent voice.
"He'll go back to Slade. It's a trap." Raven spoke calmly, obviously trying to suppress the panic in Teleka. What she hadn't realized was that Teleka knew all along. "We'll get you out somehow, just not tonight."
'Take your time. Really, it's cool.' Before anymore questions could be asked, Teleka cut her connection and fell back against the wall, ignoring the freezing water as it wavered beneath her leather Slade uniform. The others didn't know she'd brought it, didn't even think she still had it, but her she was in a high-necked red jacket and boots, and black trousers. Not that she could see any of it now, here in the total dark, trying so hard to fight the shadows that had nothing to do with light.