5
The next day, (Friday) The Iceberg Lounge..."Gentlemen," Nocturne smiled sweetly. "What we are about to do, has been attempted but never pulled off. But we're going to change that stereotype. We are in prime position to do so. And, I'm sure you'll agree, we have worked too hard to risk anything other than total success."
"Ah, but Natalia darling, what is it that makes your endeavour so fool proof?" the Penguin asked, not at all sceptical. Truth be told, he had every confidence in her, though at the time of their last collaboration she had been much younger.
"A number of factors have been twisted to our favour that had previously been overlooked. Firstly, we pick the weekend of Kasnia's latest missile crisis, when the entire Justice League, including our beloved Bats of course, has been called out. And to keep the Triquetra off our backs, we took the one member they had almost lost before as our hostage. They won't risk losing her again. So there is noone left with the ability to stop us, and after tonight's preliminary action, there will be noone with the ability to stop us at all. Does that satisfy your query, Ozzy hon?"
"Yes indeed, Natalia. Exemplary work, might I say also."
"But that's not all there is," Daimen interrupted seriously. "After tonight, it's out of the frying pan and into the fire. It's going to be one hectic weekend. How are you going to control this little army you've put together anyways?"
"Stolen telepathy, powers and mind control. If you think it's going to be a hectic weekend for you, it's going to be twice as bad for me." She smiled and nodded, heading off towards the door. "Now, if everyone's totally clear, I'm off to prepare myself for the task at hand. Good day, boys." With that, she sauntered out of the room, waving over her shoulder as she passed.
"Dare I say it, that young woman possesses one of the greatest criminal minds I have ever encountered. Quite a catch... How on Earth did you find that one, lad?" Cobblepot said, with a hint of pride on his voice as though Natalia Kitka were his own flesh and blood.
"She came to me with a plan," Daimen replied slowly, gathering his thoughts as he went. "She had the means, and the mind, even the motive... but not the muscle. When she offered me an equal share in the... fruits of her labour, I realized she wasn't just another businesswoman. Any one of those would have offered ten percent, twenty-five at the most. It wasn't that she was naïve, or stupid. She was genuine about the power share. And I think we both kind of... knew. If only her power didn't get in the way..."
"She's a genius, boy. She'll work around that twig on the road eventually. Hold on to that one. She's a real ticket to the top. You'll rule the world someday, mark my words."
"We intend to."
The Same Morning, At Triquetra Headquarters..."As realistic as all that sounds, Blue... it's just not realistic," Speedy told Blue Moon frankly after she had outlined her plan. Raven and Venom had long since woken the night before and had gathered with the others to here Blue Moon's great triumph.
"No, hold on, hear me out. Right, first off, Raven can you still do that creepy thing where you turn into the energy and you move that way?" Raven nodded in confirmation, satisfying Blue hugely. "Right then. It'll be dark, noone'll notice. Beast Boy, obviously, this is Stonegate we're talking about, they're not going to note one more rat or spider in that place. I can move fast enough not to be seen, Terra can go in from underground, and Teleka's got you two covered." She finished her sentence just as she ran out of breath, pointing to Speedy and Venom.
"Teleka?" they asked in confusion as Blue Moon gasped for breath. She tried to explain, but collapsed into rattling inhalation again. "Oh I get it..." Venom answered slowly. "Did she finish that?"
Blue nodded and managed to choke out an interrupted sentence. "Yeah... The... Night before she... disappeared." She coughed one last time before she managed to regain her equanimity. "Alright, I'm all better now. I'll take you to it. This way!" Blue led off out of the room.
"What is it? What's she taking us to?" Speedy asked, fear tainting his curiosity.
"Teleka's latest, greatest project. You'll see," Venom replied somewhat smugly. The rest followed out of barefaced inquisitiveness, all fully aware of the irony of the situation. Weren't they the ones who had been telling Blue Moon off for nosiness just the day before? They were led to Teleka's section of the massive building, and then downstairs to her basement workshop.
"Behold!" Blue flourished exuberantly, pulling the dustsheet off two life-sized mannequins, each covered in small, round plates of silver. "Our ticket into Stonegate tonight."
"Yeah, and what do those do?" Speedy asked cynically.
"Don't be so quick to judge," Venom snorted, walking up to stand beside Blue. He flicked a switch on one of the plates and smiled when the expected jolt of electricity spread through the nodes covering the model. As soon as the current reached the last port, it seemed the models, wart-like attachments and all, vanished from view.
"Dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed, walking up to where the mannequins had stood. "Where'd they go?" He found his own answer when he fell from the stand with a crash, screaming for his 'broken' nose.
"That... is the coolest thing, I have ever seen," Terra said slowly, reaching out to touch the plastic, but receiving only a cruel electric shock. She shook her singed hand, biting down on the ends of her fingers.
Speedy jumped almost as high as Terra had, looking just as nervous. "Are you sure those are safe to wear?"
"Totally," Blue Moon reassured him. "The electrical field is right outside your skin, and because of the placement of the plates, they can never touch. Telly's a genius, what more can I say?"
"Then we're set? We go in tonight?" Raven queried, staying in the shadows at the back of the group with her hood framing her face.
"Well I bloody well don't think she meant next Friday. Yeah. We go in tonight. But as it's only two o'clock, we've got plenty of time. Do with it what you will," Blue dictated, obviously acting leader in Teleka's absence. The group began to drift away, until only Raven and Venom were left in the room.
"Rae... about last night..."
"I know, I know. I lost control. I just, I saw what he did to you and I... All I could do was lie there and watch... And then I almost went demon and, I'm sorry, about all that."
"That wasn't what I was going to say. Don't be sorry. I'm actually flattered." He managed to draw a small smile before he continued. "No, I just wanted to tell you, Beast Boy pretty much ran me through your fight with Daimen. And I wanted to say thank you. From what I heard, you're the main reason any of us got out of there. I just wanted to check if you were okay."
"I'm fine," Raven replied, still somewhat more subdued than she normally was. On the surface, she looked calm and distant, but inside, she was fighting wildly against the shadow of her demon father.
"Don't lie," Venom said simply, sliding his hands along the sides of her head and lowering her hood. "If you lie, I can't help." She met his eyes for a brief second before she threw her arms up around his shoulders.
"It's scary, when it tries to get free," she murmured like a scared little girl. "It's so hard to keep it inside." He held her close to him until she relaxed and broke away, the heel of her hand placed to her forehead.
"What's wrong?"
"It's weird... It's gone already. It never goes that quickly... The demon isn't fighting anymore..."
Blue Moon sat bored, flicking biscuit crumbs off the table, seeing which flew the farthest. "You look depressed," interrupted Terra as she walked into the room. She cried out as a flying, chocolaty speck landed in her eye with great precision. "What's eating you?"
"Still missing something..." Blue muttered. "Something very obvious..."
"The rest of the cookie?"
"I meant about what's happening. Something's staring me in the face and I can't see it. I'm blind. Get me a cane and some dark glasses, but not a guide dog, I'm allergic."
"Well whatever it is, we'll know after tonight, won't we?" Terra answered flippantly, falling onto the sofa.
"But that's just it. What if we're supposed to know before then, and we don't, and something terrible happens because of my blindness?" Blue countered, pretending to feel her way over to one of the armchairs.
"Then someone else will probably see it just in the nick of time to save us all from a life of pain and suffering... blah blah, woof woof." Terra sat down to channel surfing, seemingly not too worried. "It'll be fine, Blue. Don't worry about it."
"I can't help worrying about it. Those two nutjobs have my bestest bloody friend in the whole wide world and you're telling me not to worry? It doesn't work like that Tez. How would you feel if they had Rae, or BB, or one of the other Titans?" she yelled sadly, causing Terra to pause in silence for a second...
"About the same, I guess. Sorry. You're right."
"Forget it... sorry I flew off the handle there."
"You've got every right to fly off the handle, I was out of line. Like you said, two psychos playing your best friend like a violin..."
"Not even my best friend. I don't mean to get all soppy and all, but Telly.... Telly's my sister. All three of us have lost family or friends... But somehow we get about and we're always okay. But recently, it always seems to be Telly in trouble, or making the sacrifices and it's like she really doesn't care about herself so long as..." She bit down hard on her lip, holding back tears. "Which means if something happens to her... I'm going to feel really bad...."
"She wouldn't want you to be worried. Teleka can handle herself, even without powers," Terra said comfortingly.
"Then why hasn't she fought her way home?" Blue asked fairly, gazing off into space listlessly. "I'm going to kick myself when I find out what it is..."
"What?"
"The rest of the cookie..."
Beast Boy and Speedy had been assigned to cooking lunch, but after a while, it seemed to be Beast Boy doing all the work. He waved a green palm in front of Speedy's glazed eyes slowly. "HQ to Speedy, come in Speedy. Do you read me?" he drawled slowly. Speedy simply swatted his hand away with a lip-stretch that barely passed as a smile. "Dude, Teleka's okay."
"I know."
"So why the downsome, mopey gaze-ness? It's not you, dude."
"Nocturne..."
"What?! You're not telling me you..."
"... And Daimen, BB. I mean I don't trust Nocturne to keep her promise and not kill Telly."
"Dude, we just have to get to them first. Teleka's message gave us a time and a place. The chances are if we're there, we'll be able to take them down and take her back!"
"Or that it'll all have been one huge set-up," came the morose reply, making the green-fingered chef slightly doubtful.
"Well... yeah... there's always that part of the uh... fine print, but dude, look on the bright side-"
"Bright side?" Speedy shouted, cutting him off and standing sharply out of his seat. "What bright side is that then, huh Beast Boy?"
"Dude, I'm only trying to-"
"How would you feel if they had Terra? Any of the Titans! Are you telling me you wouldn't still be worried, no matter what information you had? When you thought Robin had vanished, and then Starfire, you weren't just a little concerned that they might not come back?!" He seemed to calm after his outburst, falling back into the chair and letting his head thud loudly on the counter top.
"Okay, I get it. Sorry."
"No, I am," sighed Speedy. "It's just... what if she can't get her powers back? What if she's different when she comes back?"
"Are we talking about the same Teleka? If she didn't change for Catwoman in three years, she'd not going to change for some amateur, demon half-breed and an amateur English chick in three days. Don't sweat it. Give the girl a little credit."
Speedy laughed wanly. "You're right, you're right, she'll be fine, and I'm being stupid. One question though."
"Shoot."
"How the hell did you manage to burn salad!?" Beast Boy let out a mad parrot-like squawk and ran to stop the mysterious smoke.
Of course, while they fretted and tried to become ready for anything, Nocturne was happily preparing herself for the task at hand, she groaned slightly when the shrill, all too perky ring tone from her cellphone split the ambient air in two. "Hello," she sighed tiredly.
"Noc, where are you?"
"Relax, Daimen hon, it's only eight o'clock. I'll be there at ten sharp, which gives us plenty of time. I'm deep in the throes of psychological preparation."
"Aren't you cutting it a little fine?"
"Stop stressing me. I'm trying to relax. A relaxed mind is a calm mind, and a clam mind deals better with controlling those of the city's most dangerous criminals. I'm preparing myself mentally for the positively evil weekend ahead."
"Are you... taking a bath?"
"What's it to you?" she snapped with a laugh as she switched the phone off and threw it halfway across the tiled floor, sliding into the scalding water as it skittered across the floor. "A girl's entitled to it once in a while anyways."
10 O'clock...A series of sharp clicks and the sound of a door opening and closing somewhere in the warehouse brought both the Penguin and Daimen sharply to their feet. "Before I enter this room, Ozzy, put your umbrella down and Daimen cool it hon, it's only me." Nocturne sauntered into the room, her three-inch heels clacking against the cold floor of the small office. "Everything in order?"
"All we can do now is wait," Penguin replied easily, laying his umbrella down beside the chair with the safety catch switched on.
"I still think you should've come earlier," Daimen told her darkly as the aura around his fists began to fade.
"Afraid to let me out of your sight, hon?" she smiled, moving closer to his chair and leaning down over the table.
"Something like that, yeah." He could almost feel her breath on his skin, but had the strange sensation she was hiding something. Of course, that could have been the fear of her curse he was feeling. Her skin was too close for comfort
"I don't think I like your tone. I think I'll leave and decide. Back in ten, boys, don't run off without me." She stood up sharply, keeping eye contact before spinning on her designer heel and stalking out of the room. Slamming the door, Nocturne inhaled deeply and sighed before she walked away to run off some steam. "Men..."
"You need her, boy. Even when the hard work is over, you still need her. Don't let her slip through, because after tonight, if your not on her good side, she could easily double-cross, and you know it."
"Shut up, Cobblepot. I'm fully aware of the risks involved in working with Nocturne's type. She's a cocky, self-assured player, but she's good. She figured out how to take each of the heroes she thought we'd come up against down, and it worked, and I'm sure she has a plan for if it all goes horribly wrong. She's too good. That's why I don't trust her."
"Boy, when she explained to me about your plan, she sung your praises like the Black Canary. But now I don't understand what she meant by smart."
"One, stop calling me kid, and two, I'm only worried because if she does go one-eighty on us, we won't even know until it's all happened."
"You're being paranoid. Give her a little credit."
11 O'clock... Triquetra HQ..."Right then chums. We all set?" asked Blue Moon with authority as she stood before the group in a blue catsuit, having discarded her veils and silks for the sake of speed. "Speedy, Venom, what did we say about nodding? We can't see you, so you open your mouths, and let the words come out, okay?"
"Yes, Blue," they answered like scolded school children, so that the others could almost imagine the sarcastically apologetic looks on their faces.
"Right then. Terra, are you sure you can do this without everything collapsing in on you?"
"For the thirty-second time, yes! Are you sure you can really move that fast?" Terra had tried in vain to make a sarcastic point, proved wrong when, fractions of a second after the words had left her mouth, Blue Moon stood in front of her, a broad smirk splitting her face. "Should've known better than to ask."
"I was just making sure, Tez. Raven, BB, you ready too?" They both nodded and Blue seemed satisfied, returning to the front of the room. "Alright then. Remember, we don't have a priority. If push comes to shove, split up and complete both objectives. Do with Daimen what you will, but Nocturne must be brought here alive at all costs, if Teleka's not with them. And if that's all clear, let's go." She turned to lead the way out of the room and through to the garage.
She snatched the keys but paused, looking the direction she knew Venom and Speedy were in. "Right, I can't resist this. Sheer comedy value. One of you is driving."