Chapter 2: Distractions
Syren seethed inwardly at she left Triquetra Headquarters, only angered that she knew Teleka was right. The idea of someone or something so evil sharing space in her head disgusted her. She ducked into a side alley and scaled the fire escape to an empty apartment halfway up the nearest building. She snapped her foot into the glass and slid herself through. She began to pull the pieces of her costume from her bag and changed quickly, intending to go straight out into the twilight rather than wait for night. However, abandoned as the place might be, there were some leftover home comforts. She stalked threateningly towards an ancient armchair and pushed it over, before lifting the broken shards of a coffee table and hurling them into the wall. Shards became splinters as she screamed out a dare for anything inside of her to come out and take her head on.
When nothing happened, Syren allowed her ragged breathing to slow before rapidly turning and running towards the window. She flattened her body and dove out into the air without a rope, unsure of exactly what she was doing. All she knew was that suddenly her reflexes were better than ever. She could see, hear, smell, even feel the air around her, aware of every tiny movement. She was utterly fearless...
Inches from the ground, she found she suddenly stopped. A sharp ache in her arms and stomach alerted her that she was hanging precariously from the last platform of the fire escape. She allowed her fingers to slide from the metal and dropped to the pavement. Eight storeys, she counted from the ground up. She had just jumped eight floors on impulse, and found herself not only alive, but with the pains in her head and stomach gone. She rolled up her t-shirt and checked the bandage. To her shock, the wound had finally stopped bleeding and had begun to glaze over with new skin. Suddenly, the revelations scared her and she began to run through the backstreets until something made her stop abruptly.
A smell... sweat... blood... fear... She took off again, running at full pelt towards the source. She came up against a solid steel door, pounding to a stop in front of it. The new instincts she had found told her she needed to be behind this door and pulled her back into a coiled position, springing her into the plate and knocking it through. Immediately, noises met her from below. "Please don't hurt me," someone pleaded pitifully at the foot of the stairs that led down from her. She ducked behind the balustrade and tried to get a closer look at the assailant.
"You think you can hold out on us?" the attacker shouted, but he still didn't come out of the gloom. Syren reached up, barely realizing, and wrapped her hands around the bar. She flipped over and let go, surfing the bar to the bottom and landing in front of the thug.
"Little girl coming to play?"
"Big tough guy hiding from her?" she retaliated, her hands resting cautiously on the daggers at her belt.
"You don't want me to come out there," the male voice replied, a teasing note lying over it.
"No, I want you to leave."
"Really? I'm afraid that can't happen." Suddenly, shining red eyes and a leering white smile became visible through the shadows. "Not if I'm not really here."
"Daimen!" she gasped, her eyes wide in fear. She spun on her heel to warn the victim she had been sure was behind her. Instead she found there was noone there. She hadn't felt him leave, hadn't felt a thing. The door was still exactly as she had left it.
"Right. And on your first guess... You're smarter than I give you credit for. I bet you don't know what's happening to you. You jumped out of an eighth floor window without a scratch. I put a katana through your stomach and all that's left is the scar. That was only yesterday. I bet you'd love to know what's happening."
"I don't want to hear it from you," she scowled, hardly able to disguise the curious hesitancy on her voice. Infuriatingly, he saw through her.
"Yes you do. It's obvious, written all over you."
"Oh I'm not say I don't want to know, but there are other places I can find out."
"Really? You believe that? Where?" The mocking leer grew wider as Syren's mouth pulled up into an ugly snarl at one side. She bridled while she childishly fumbled for an answer, any answer.
"Any number of places. The Triquetra, Teen Titans... The Bat if I have to. But not you."
"You're really very pretty when you're making things up as you go. The Triquetra don't care about you. Why would they have sent you back out otherwise? The Teen Titans couldn't tell you anything, even if they wanted to, because they don't know. And you're shit scared of the Dark Knight. None of them can tell you anything, because they don't know who's doing it, and I do." He smiled almost kindly to finish, prompting her rage to reach breaking point. She thrust herself forward, sensing something wrong as she attempted to shove him away from her, out of her mind. But her hands met with nothing but air and she lost her balance, toppling forward like a tower of bricks and collapsing to the concrete.
Syren scrambled to her feet and backed into the corner, her eyes flickering around the relatively small space. Nothing... Noone... Just a crack of light from the door. "Damn psychic in my head. She's screwed me up," she murmured to herself, not entirely convinced by her own reasoning. She leant her head back against the wall with a deep sigh, peripherally catching an object beneath the metal stairs. She was suddenly alert again, edging closer to it in case it was some kind of trap. Just a wooden crate, with no visible trappings, she observed. She drew her daggers and place one at either side, using them as leverage in place of a crowbar.
The lid popped off easily, coming into her hands. She pulled away layers of paper stuffing that were covering the object within. A large black orb, seemingly made of glass or obsidian and delicately carved with intricate patterns. Something told her not to touch it at the back of her mind, and on the basis of her newfound instincts, she paid attention. Delicately, she replaced the lid and hefted the weighty box into her arms. With the tips of her fingers, she snatched open her communicator.
"Alright Sy?" Blue Moon greeted her happily.
"After a fashion. I think I might have something, can I come round?"
"Yeah, sure. You sure you're okay? You sound out of sorts."
"I'll be fine. I need to talk to your resident telepath about what happened earlier. I'll see you in ten?"
"S'not like we're going anywhere. See you then." Syren nodded and clipped the palmtop closed again, pressing it securely into her back pocket and fastening the zip. With that, she heaved the chest again and started up the stairs and through the streets, finally setting it down on the steps of Tri-Q HQ. Once again it was Venom who met her at the door.
"Thought you'd be back," he said lightly, taking the crate from her. "Where'd this come from?"
"Some backend basement downtown." She caught his querying look and raised one of her tired arms in surrender. "Long story."
Venom nodded in appreciation and led her back through the main hall to the living room. Teleka had fallen asleep on the window seat and Blue Moon sat quietly reading a magazine hidden inside one of the files. It could have almost passed for an ordinary night, had it not been for the tense atmosphere and the slight crackles of red energy around Teleka. "What's wrong with her?" Syren asked
"She don't know. And we haven't been able to figure it out. She's been like that for hours. Don't s'pose you know, do you?" Blue Moon informed her, a tone of worry on her voice. However, right at that second, with a shuddering gasp, Teleka withdrew from her catatonic state and rolled to the floor. Ignoring her awkward landing, she froze, fixing Syren with a passive, glassy stare.
"You... You met Daimen... In your head..." she murmured quietly, her eyes wide and frightened and still making no attempt to stand.
"How did you-?"
"Where's the orb?"
"You weren't there, you can't-"
"Where is it?" she repeated, her voice raised into a feral, scared shout. Venom hurriedly slid the box across the floor to her, skilfully moving no closer because the bolts had become much stronger since she had awakened. She ripped the lid away and scrabbled for the glass ball like something possessed. Her eyes and hands began to glow red and it hovered into the air above its case. She remained level with it, crawling in a predatory circle, examining the black glass. "So... So cold," she shuddered, shivering as stopped and dropped back onto her knees like a cat. Her already pale skin faded to icy white as she reached both hands in towards the sides of the orb. A tangible darkness seemed to reach out from its aura to meet her fingertips, but she paid no attention, her eyes hypnotised crimson pools. However, as soon as her skin made contact with the smooth surface, she collapsed sideways with an anguished cry. The orb dropped back into its comfortable position among the shreds of paper as the other three crowded around her.
"Telly!" Blue shouted impulsively, keen senses picking up a charred smell. She looked down, finding pieces of Teleka's thick leather gloves had been completely burnt away, and most of her skin was charred and smoking. "V! Quick, come and help me!" she tore off several of her gauzy blue wraps and began to bandage Teleka's hands until she could find something more substantial.
"What was that?" Syren questioned, shock and concern twisting her face.
"Not a clue. V, I've changed my mind, I can handle Telly. You send the smoke signals out. Get to the Titans; see if anything similar has ever happened to Rae. For God's sake do something instead of standin' there starin'!" She didn't speak without reason, because for once Venom seemed taken aback. He had entirely frozen, seeming to attempt to take in everything that had just happened. "Oh my bloody... Sy, do me favour?"
"Aye, sure," Syren replied, eager to help in any possible way.
"Whack him on the back of the head with something before I try to kill him!" As Blue attempted to revive Teleka, Syren shrugged and raised her arm, catching Venom and serving to snap him out of his trance. She dropped to the floor and snapped the lid back onto the crate.
"Mind trap," she muttered. "Has to be."
"What was that?" asked both of the others within moments of each other.
"Something to mess with her head." But the explanation was cut off when the unconscious teen began to seize, twitching frenetically. "Shit! What the hell's happening?" Syren shouted, dropping down beside Blue Moon as Venom latched on to Teleka's hand. However, her uncontrollable shaking ceased as suddenly as it had started. Silence fell heavily for a second. "Venom... her pulse is still there, right?"
He sharply checked and nodded silently. It seemed he had regained his composure as he took charge. "Blue, help me get her to her room. It'll be fine. Really." His tone was soft and reassuring, but the honed lie detector in Blue Moon saw through the façade; everything would not be fine... not really.
Several hours later, Teleka was lying comatose on her bed, the silken sheets drawn up almost to her neck. Blue Moon had long since fallen asleep on the sofa opposite, but Syren and Venom were still wide-awake.
"This is my fault... I shouldn't have brought that thing here. I... I should go. Tell her I'm sorry when she comes to." Syren made no attempt to leave however.
"Don't. If she's going to be out for a while, then we might need your help." Venom remained calm and authoritative at all times, not inviting her to stay without demanding it.
"I... I'm not used to this kind of thing. I take up with thugs and wannabe gangsters, not this kind of-"
"That's how we started. Don't sweat it. There's a first time for everything, right?"
"Guess so..." She looked away slowly, taking her eyes away from Teleka where she lay on the bed. "Venom... I overheard you saying once that Teleka had been in your head too. Afterwards... Was anything different?" she asked frankly, but at the same time not addressing her worries directly.
"This was what you wanted to talk to her about, wasn't it? What happened?"
"What? No, nothing! I was just... curious, is all." But she caught his piercing look and began to explain. "My sword wound's healed. I jumped out of an eighth-floor window. I'm seeing things. So, was it her fault or am I going mad?"
"If it was, she didn't do it intentionally."
"I know... But... I just jumped, didn't even know what I was doing, just did it..."
"Sounds like she left herself up there. Always acts on impulse." Thankfully, the door knocked softly and opened a crack. "Hey Speedy. Figured you'd show up sometime tonight."
"Is she okay?" he asked worriedly, walking to the edge of the bed and taking her hand. "What happened?"
"Your guess is as good as ours," Syren replied darkly. "Long time, no see, huh Speedy?"
"Yeah, it has been," but he was somewhat preoccupied. For a second, he could have sworn he had heard a tiny moan from Teleka, but when nothing happened, he joined the other two, sitting down and looking on, just as helpless. After several minutes he seemed to crack. "We can't just sit here and do nothing. Isn't there someone who can get inside her head and sort things out? She looks ill, can't we do anything?"
"No. We've been through all this. She's stable, that's all we know."
"So you've been through everything? And nothing worked?"
"That's not what I-"
"Stop," Syren broke in sternly. "Maybe it's not my place to say, but I don't think fighting is helping." As though her words had done it, another tiny noise, like the first mews of a kitten, emanated from Teleka and she tossed slightly, twisting the sheets. At this, even Blue Moon jerked from her sleep to join the others edging closer to the bed. It was Speedy who first reached out for her limp hand, but found that within inches of her skin, flashes of telekinesis flickered out to force him back.
"Don't touch... not me... not the orb..." she whispered, but the simple action seemed to cost her great effort. Her eyes fluttered, only to close again with fatigue and exasperation as an alarm rang out somewhere in HQ.
"No prizes for guessing who that is," Blue Moon sighed. "I'll stay with her."
"No," Venom interjected sharply. "We'll need you, let Syren stay."
"What?" Blue exclaimed, but Venom pulled her behind him as he left the room, reluctantly followed by Speedy, acknowledging Syren's grateful nod. "I don't bloody believe this!" continued the shouting, fading off down the corridor. Syren smiled briefly before moving as closely as she dared to Teleka.
"Teleka?" Slowly, Teleka turned her head and shifted into a more comfortable position. "I... just wanted to say I'm sorry for bringing that thing here."
"Don't be. It's a link. We can use it." Teleka's sentences were short through her laboured breathing. Her eyes flickered open, slightly red, and her voice was suddenly within the confines of Syren's mind. "I'm going to speak telepathically. It's easier for me."
"Got it. What do you mean a link?"
"I don't know. I need to see it again. But there's something primitive about it. I think I completely overloaded on power."
"I know how that feels," Syren thought ruefully, forgetting entirely that Teleka was within her head.
"I knew there was something wrong with you," she replied, her eyes narrowed slightly with the question. "What is it? Your mind's too open..."
"Ever since you were in my head... I can do things, weird things," she told her hesitantly. Teleka sensed her discomfort and offered to simply extract the events from her mind, an offer Syren gratefully accepted. Teleka's eyes shut again and she thought deeply about the jump, the senses and instincts, the apparition of Daimen... after a moment she shook her head, so slightly it was barely a motion.
"All I can think of, when I broke through the cave in your head, there was more light getting in. From another part. Maybe this is something that was already inside you. I'd have to see inside again to know for sure." But Syren shook her head fervently by contrast.
"No. Never again. Besides, you're too weak."
"Stop making excuses, my mind's never been stronger. It's the only way to find out. Now are we doing this or not?"
Meanwhile...
Within their careers, all of those now standing outside the Bank of Gotham had seen more than their share of the evils in the world. But the sight of the middle-aged man on the pavement, pieces of his skull as far away as the other side of the road was a sickening experience for any of them. "Nice..." Speedy murmured quietly as Blue Moon fought not to be violently ill. Venom walked on quietly, through the now deserted area, seeking out the source of the disturbance. Before he knew it, Blue was dogging his heels almost fearfully. He turned and fixed her with a disbelieving look, but she simply looked up at him with large, cow-like eyes and pointed to the maimed victim with a slow nod as if to demonstrate.
"You'll have to be quieter than that," came Daimen's mocking tone as he stepped out to meet them.
"What do you think you're doing?" Blue Moon snapped, suddenly emboldened by the horrific sight.
"Oh, you like the work? Thought that would get your attention."
"You have our attention now what do you want?" Venom spat in reply, his fangs lengthening and beginning to drip poison.
"Simple. Revenge." With amazing speed, Daimen drew one of his katanas and wielded it expertly, slashing into Blue Moon before she even knew it. The blood from the gash that travelled from one arm to the next was on her hands before she felt the pain and she dropped back against the wall. "You got lucky last time. She was stopping me. Told me we had enough. But now she's not here. You're little mind game's all laid up in bed trying to help the cute Irish vigilante with what she can't understand. And you won't be so lucky." Venom dove forward in a rage while Speedy fired from behind, but Daimen simply took the arrow and threw Venom away with the ease of a heavyweight boxer sending a featherweight to the ropes. Venom crashed into the wall with a resounding thud, but bravely attempted to regain his footing. It wasn't until he found himself pinned to the wall with the katana through his shoulder that he stopped struggling, staring in horror as the pain struck seconds after it had happened.
Suddenly, another arrow glowing with energy blasted off the hilt, allowing Venom to extract himself. "Get the hell up!" Speedy shouted, when he made no attempt to move. Blood was already streaming from his nose from trying to keep Daimen busy hand to hand. But Venom shook his head.
"Blue's bleeding out, we need to get her out of here."
"I wasn't going to kill any of you tonight anyway, if you care. I mean, where's the fun in that?" Daimen laughed flippantly, delivering another shattering punch to Speedy's jaw. "I have another appointment tonight. But I'll be seeing you all soon. Count on it." With one last blow he faded out into thin air, leaving a broken team behind him.
"Could that have gone worse?" Blue Moon choked in pain. Immediately, the other two looked straight to her worriedly. Venom pulled out a communicator hurriedly. "Syren, Telly, are either of you there?"
"Venom? That was quick. We shot of him already?"
"Not quite, Sy. Listen, is Teleka awake? If she's not you need to call an ambulance."
"Why? What's-" Suddenly, she was cut off as telekinesis latched onto the communicator and turned it to face Teleka.
"What happened? Show me. I'll decide whether we need an ambulance or not."
"Good to have you back," Venom grimaced, showing her Blue who bravely attempted to smile on screen but couldn't mask the extreme pain she was in. "She can't fly. Should we bring her back to you or can you get down here?"
"Don't move her! Christ whatever you do, don't move her... I can work long-range, repair most of the damage telekinetically. Blue, you hear me? It'll be fine. I just need you to relax. It'll all be over in a couple of minutes." Blue Moon nodded in silence, swallowing the lump in her throat and tilted her head back, preparing for more agony. Slowly, torturously, the wound began to close on itself, the red glow lost in the plasma. She screamed as the last edges of the skin began to repair, knowing the worst was over now that the internal gashes were closed the bleeding had eased. She slumped against Venom, allowing him to hold her tightly, providing a small comfort while Teleka turned her attention to Venom and Speedy's wounds, trying to burn off the excess power she had obtained from the orb.
As she had promised, minutes later everything was repaired but their egos. "He didn't even break a sweat," Speedy murmured, mainly to himself as Blue sobbed sorely, still clinging to Venom like a life raft. "Is it just me, or are we totally unprepared for something like this?"
"Just you," the other two managed sharply as they began to rise as police finally arrived and it was definitely time to leave.
"That was a hell of a sound thing you just did," Syren smiled reassuringly as Teleka tried to regulate her breathing.
"What did you want me to do, let her die? People like us don't get rested in hospitals; they get interviewed and torn to pieces by media vultures before they're even dead... Breather, in the drawer by the bed," she pleaded gesturing towards the cabinet.
"What is it? Done yourself in again?" Syren tried to joke, handing her the breather. She had kept there ever since the Scarecrow incident.
"Something here..." Teleka's eyes snapped wide open into her glazed stare again, looking straight towards the ceiling. "Dark... power... pure... strong," she gasped, dropping the breather, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe.
"Are you enjoying this?" Syren turned her head sharply to the source of the voice, finding the glittering red eyes watching intently from the dark corners of the room again. "I am."
"Daimen," she rasped, having almost expected this and anger replacing fear. "Why are you doing this?"
"To punish her."
"Why use me?"
"She's one of these bleeding heart, take in stray kitten types. I thought it might be a good way to get to her."
"Congratulations, you're through now whatever you've done to her, undo it!"
"Very protective all of a sudden aren't you? You haven't cared about anything for over a year now. Why so friendly with these losers?"
"Well if you're the competition..."
"You're better than that. But still not good enough. For example... what could you possibly do if I tried this?" he asked, his voice becoming dangerously soft. Syren blinked and suddenly the shadows had moved right up to her face and a hand shot from the dark to wrap around her throat. However, just like her earlier jump from the window, instinct took over and she found herself watching him grasp from a sideways angle. Still unable to control her actions, she reached out and grabbed his hand by the wrist, twisting it away from her with such force she heard the snap and the shout to accompany it.
"I could always try that."
"That was mean. Especially when you weren't in any real danger. I was just demonstrating. But that's not the point. The point is, I'm capable of more than you can even imagine. And I haven't even started yet. If you come up against me, you won't be coming off the better."
"I look forward to it," she spat, crushing the bones harder before she felt it fade from her hand. However as one hand disappeared, another touched her peripheral vision, too close for instinct to do anything and swing in to knock her out. Syren dropped to the floor like a wet sandbag, sliding from her chair and crumpling into a heap. "I didn't imagine it before," she murmured as she slipped from consciousness...
Y'all love me, don't you? winkwinknudgenudge I like reviews... suggestive cough Well if you haven't got the bloody hint by now!