Chapter 7
"All is going as planned Master Slade. The take-over of Altantis is commencing. Soon the last pockets of resistance will be eliminated."
"Good." Lazily Slade waved away the robot that had given him the report.
A human wearing a uniform approached hesitantly and bowed low before the villain.
"Yes?" He asked impatiently.
"Sir, we encountered a problem with the psychic girl. During one of our sessions she was severely injured."
"What?! You know your orders! None of them are to be killed!"
"Yes, Master Slade. She was recovered with little trouble and is now conscious."
"Good, good." Slade nodded slightly. "And the others?"
"All the same. The Tameranian was active yesterday."
"Yes? That hasn't happened for some time."
"She cried for some time. But eventually stopped."
"And Robin?"
"The same. He seems to have lost his mind. He talks to himself constantly. We have him attached to an automated feeding system, otherwise he would have perished long ago."
"Yes, I was made aware when he refused to eat. What about the robot?"
"Off-line sir. He has not been activated since your first orders regarding his termination."
Slade nodded slowly. "And the Changling?"
"Collapsed again yesterday sir. We used the shockers as you ordered, but he didn't recover for quite some time. Although he is moving again this morning."
"Fine. You may go." Slade turned back to his console in silence, waiting until he heard the door slide closed behind him. He turned around, folding his hands against his chest, staring at he door in contemplation.
The Titans. His easiest victory. He had long since rid himself of that particular menace. They were all prisoners in his fortress now. Most didn't even speak anymore. Except to scream.
He allowed a small smile to flicker across his facade before he retained his stone-like composure. They were weak. For a short time he had entertained thoughts of forcing Robin to become his apprentice, but those thoughts had eventually faded away into nothing. Why should he need such a pathetic wretch?
He was Slade. Master of Earth. All humans had been slowly bent and molded to his will. Of course, they had resisted in the beginning, but he had beaten them down with the sheer force of his will, and the overwhelming robotic attacks he had launched.
The only ones who dared to still oppose him were the Atlantians. His fists clenched at the thought of the arrogant fools. He had offered them a chance to become his allies. His second-in-command. A moment of supreme weakness on his part. Yet they had refused.
So he had done what he needed to. He attacked them directly. It had taken some time just to turn back their outer defenses. However, slowly but surely he was defeating them. Sending them back to the pathetic crevices they had first emerged from.
He smirked at the memory of the Titans. Not the ones he kept locked away. Oh no. These were the others. Wildabeest, Speedy, Hotstreak. They had tried to assist the Atlantians for a time. To fight him off. But they had all died. And for opposing him he had made sure it was not the quick clean death of a laser blast. Rather a horrible screaming nightmare of pain, until they begged for death, but it did not come to relieve them, not until long after they quit screaming, and the silence echoed unbearably.
But still. Still one Titan continued to elude him. Aqualad. That Atlantian scum had caused him more trouble then the others put together.
The foolish boy had been the one to rally the Atlantians to fight, rather than except his offer. He had warned them of the foolishness of excepting his proposal. And so he led the others in battle after battle against him. Trying futilely to save his people. They were doomed anyway. Their meager retorts were nothing to him. Not even a fly on the wall. They were nothing to him. Annoying at best. And soon they would all be dead.
He grimaced, his mask hiding his expression as yet another member of his organization entered to interrupt his thoughts.
"Forgive me Master Slade."
"Yes, yes you fool. What is it?"
"Sir..."
"Well?! Spit it out! I have no time to sit and watch you dither!"
"Sir, it's the Tameranian. She... asked to speak with you."
"Are you certain? She has not spoken in some time. Are you sure she is not simply hallucinating?"
"At first we thought so sir, but she seems quite lucid."
"Very well. I will go and see what she has to say."
"Yes sir." The man bowed and walked out.
Well, well... I wonder what she could want. It's been so long since any of them spoke, I'm almost looking forward to this small meeting.
Manipulating a few controls, he stepped out of the room, walking down the blank corridors to a small room filled with monitors. Each glowed an unearthly green, all focused on the same point in the room beyond.
On every screen the same image played. The Tameranian sat rocking back and forth in the pitch black, her knees tucked to her chest.
"Well?" Slade demanded. "Open the doors!"
"Yes sir!" One of the scientists stood and escorted Slade to a small door.
"The lights?" He demanded.
"Sir, she has not been exposed to... The shock could severely..."
"The lights! I will not walk into there without some means of illumination!"
"Yes sir...!"
Abruptly a harsh light streamed into the room. The girl screamed, hiding her eyes in her hands and shivering violently.
Slade stepped into the room, ignoring the girl's whimpers of pain. "What is it?"
She tucked her face into her knees. "The light... The light..."
"Yes, what about it?" He asked, enjoying her discomfort.
"Are... are..." Her voice was cracked and horse with disuse.
"I have no time for this." Slade told her coldly. Turning he prepared to leave, but a hand on his boot caught him. He delivered a kick to the grasping hand, and the Tameranian recoiled into a corner of the room.
"Are... The others... Are they dead?" She looked up, eyes running with tears. So dark. As dark as pools of ink. No feeling. Nothing. No emotion. She was broken. Had been for some time.
It must have taken whatever sense of reality she had left to summon him. The others were so far gone it was a shock that she could speak plainly at all. He wasn't sure what forced her to ask, had it been him, he wouldn't have wanted an answer. He stopped for a moment, unsure what reponse would hurt her more.
"Yes." He told her. Relishing her silence at his response, he left her alone in the dark once again.
OOOOO
No reason to live... The others. Dead.
I can't be alone anymore. I wish I could die.
I know they're there. Waiting, in the darkness. They want to take me away. I can hear them talking. Whispering in those horrible voices. They're waiting... Waiting until I fall asleep. So they can take me away with them forever.
So I have to stay awake. So they don't get me.
But why? What is there to live for anymore? The others. Dead. All dead.
Robin.
Raven.
Beast Boy.
Cyborg.
So why not me? Why am I left alone to suffer?
Was he lying? What would he have to gain besides my pain?
I had to know. Shouldn't have asked. But I couldn't keep sitting here... Alone, in the dark, without knowing.
I can hear them now. Whispering now that the darkness has enclosed me once more.
Stop it! Stop talking! Stop mumbling!
I don't even know if I'm screaming, or if it's all in my head.
Someone just end it all...
End my suffering...
Please...
OOOOO
Author's Note: I guess it didn't get much better. Rather, it got worse. But at least you know what's been going on. Don't worry. They won't be alone much longer. Although, in their condition, that may not be a good thing... MysteryMaiden7
"All is going as planned Master Slade. The take-over of Altantis is commencing. Soon the last pockets of resistance will be eliminated."
"Good." Lazily Slade waved away the robot that had given him the report.
A human wearing a uniform approached hesitantly and bowed low before the villain.
"Yes?" He asked impatiently.
"Sir, we encountered a problem with the psychic girl. During one of our sessions she was severely injured."
"What?! You know your orders! None of them are to be killed!"
"Yes, Master Slade. She was recovered with little trouble and is now conscious."
"Good, good." Slade nodded slightly. "And the others?"
"All the same. The Tameranian was active yesterday."
"Yes? That hasn't happened for some time."
"She cried for some time. But eventually stopped."
"And Robin?"
"The same. He seems to have lost his mind. He talks to himself constantly. We have him attached to an automated feeding system, otherwise he would have perished long ago."
"Yes, I was made aware when he refused to eat. What about the robot?"
"Off-line sir. He has not been activated since your first orders regarding his termination."
Slade nodded slowly. "And the Changling?"
"Collapsed again yesterday sir. We used the shockers as you ordered, but he didn't recover for quite some time. Although he is moving again this morning."
"Fine. You may go." Slade turned back to his console in silence, waiting until he heard the door slide closed behind him. He turned around, folding his hands against his chest, staring at he door in contemplation.
The Titans. His easiest victory. He had long since rid himself of that particular menace. They were all prisoners in his fortress now. Most didn't even speak anymore. Except to scream.
He allowed a small smile to flicker across his facade before he retained his stone-like composure. They were weak. For a short time he had entertained thoughts of forcing Robin to become his apprentice, but those thoughts had eventually faded away into nothing. Why should he need such a pathetic wretch?
He was Slade. Master of Earth. All humans had been slowly bent and molded to his will. Of course, they had resisted in the beginning, but he had beaten them down with the sheer force of his will, and the overwhelming robotic attacks he had launched.
The only ones who dared to still oppose him were the Atlantians. His fists clenched at the thought of the arrogant fools. He had offered them a chance to become his allies. His second-in-command. A moment of supreme weakness on his part. Yet they had refused.
So he had done what he needed to. He attacked them directly. It had taken some time just to turn back their outer defenses. However, slowly but surely he was defeating them. Sending them back to the pathetic crevices they had first emerged from.
He smirked at the memory of the Titans. Not the ones he kept locked away. Oh no. These were the others. Wildabeest, Speedy, Hotstreak. They had tried to assist the Atlantians for a time. To fight him off. But they had all died. And for opposing him he had made sure it was not the quick clean death of a laser blast. Rather a horrible screaming nightmare of pain, until they begged for death, but it did not come to relieve them, not until long after they quit screaming, and the silence echoed unbearably.
But still. Still one Titan continued to elude him. Aqualad. That Atlantian scum had caused him more trouble then the others put together.
The foolish boy had been the one to rally the Atlantians to fight, rather than except his offer. He had warned them of the foolishness of excepting his proposal. And so he led the others in battle after battle against him. Trying futilely to save his people. They were doomed anyway. Their meager retorts were nothing to him. Not even a fly on the wall. They were nothing to him. Annoying at best. And soon they would all be dead.
He grimaced, his mask hiding his expression as yet another member of his organization entered to interrupt his thoughts.
"Forgive me Master Slade."
"Yes, yes you fool. What is it?"
"Sir..."
"Well?! Spit it out! I have no time to sit and watch you dither!"
"Sir, it's the Tameranian. She... asked to speak with you."
"Are you certain? She has not spoken in some time. Are you sure she is not simply hallucinating?"
"At first we thought so sir, but she seems quite lucid."
"Very well. I will go and see what she has to say."
"Yes sir." The man bowed and walked out.
Well, well... I wonder what she could want. It's been so long since any of them spoke, I'm almost looking forward to this small meeting.
Manipulating a few controls, he stepped out of the room, walking down the blank corridors to a small room filled with monitors. Each glowed an unearthly green, all focused on the same point in the room beyond.
On every screen the same image played. The Tameranian sat rocking back and forth in the pitch black, her knees tucked to her chest.
"Well?" Slade demanded. "Open the doors!"
"Yes sir!" One of the scientists stood and escorted Slade to a small door.
"The lights?" He demanded.
"Sir, she has not been exposed to... The shock could severely..."
"The lights! I will not walk into there without some means of illumination!"
"Yes sir...!"
Abruptly a harsh light streamed into the room. The girl screamed, hiding her eyes in her hands and shivering violently.
Slade stepped into the room, ignoring the girl's whimpers of pain. "What is it?"
She tucked her face into her knees. "The light... The light..."
"Yes, what about it?" He asked, enjoying her discomfort.
"Are... are..." Her voice was cracked and horse with disuse.
"I have no time for this." Slade told her coldly. Turning he prepared to leave, but a hand on his boot caught him. He delivered a kick to the grasping hand, and the Tameranian recoiled into a corner of the room.
"Are... The others... Are they dead?" She looked up, eyes running with tears. So dark. As dark as pools of ink. No feeling. Nothing. No emotion. She was broken. Had been for some time.
It must have taken whatever sense of reality she had left to summon him. The others were so far gone it was a shock that she could speak plainly at all. He wasn't sure what forced her to ask, had it been him, he wouldn't have wanted an answer. He stopped for a moment, unsure what reponse would hurt her more.
"Yes." He told her. Relishing her silence at his response, he left her alone in the dark once again.
OOOOO
No reason to live... The others. Dead.
I can't be alone anymore. I wish I could die.
I know they're there. Waiting, in the darkness. They want to take me away. I can hear them talking. Whispering in those horrible voices. They're waiting... Waiting until I fall asleep. So they can take me away with them forever.
So I have to stay awake. So they don't get me.
But why? What is there to live for anymore? The others. Dead. All dead.
Robin.
Raven.
Beast Boy.
Cyborg.
So why not me? Why am I left alone to suffer?
Was he lying? What would he have to gain besides my pain?
I had to know. Shouldn't have asked. But I couldn't keep sitting here... Alone, in the dark, without knowing.
I can hear them now. Whispering now that the darkness has enclosed me once more.
Stop it! Stop talking! Stop mumbling!
I don't even know if I'm screaming, or if it's all in my head.
Someone just end it all...
End my suffering...
Please...
OOOOO
Author's Note: I guess it didn't get much better. Rather, it got worse. But at least you know what's been going on. Don't worry. They won't be alone much longer. Although, in their condition, that may not be a good thing... MysteryMaiden7