Slade strolled into his office. It was dark save for the desk lamp. He limped slightly and looked as if he hadn't eaten or slept in days. Damn sickness, he thought. He braced his hand on the desk to keep from falling; his coordination had taken a nose dive. He lowered himself into the high-backed chair. He supposed it could be the stress of the Tigress situation or the unsettling desertion of the D.S.F that had caused his ill health. He knew they had joined, except for Mamba. His agents had found her body floating downstream 4 days ago. She had been dispatched with Raven last week. She had seemingly died in the struggle, felled by a slit throat. Slade shook his head. Mamba had been good. Sure she had been inexperienced, but she had been ruthless and power-hungry. A woman after his own dark heart. Raven was different though; she had always seemed dark and merciless but Tigress had led her down the road to betrayal.
Slade slapped his hand against the hard wood top of the desk. He hissed and grabbed the intercom and pushed the button.
"Send in Wolf." He drawled.
"Yes, my lord."
Slade waited. A short time later, Wolf came through the door. He stood before the desk staring at something above his master's head.
"Wolf, just the man I wanted to see," Slade said, "As you know the Tigress hit has turned a disaster. All have failed except for you. Bear, Hyena and Raven have joined. Mamba was unfortunately killed." He breathed out sharply. "The stress and frustration of the situation have taken toll on me. Tigress MUST be killed. That little girl living with her, too. And the rest of my traitorous assassins."
He stood up, grasping the edge of the desk so hard his knuckles turned white. He stared into Wolf's eyes. "It's funny how quickly people can turn against you. In the past 10 days I have lost ferocious Hyena, strong Bear, merciless Raven and ruthless Mamba. You are all that left of the D.S.F. You must succeed. We wouldn't want a repeat of the last time you failed. Wolf, I rescued you from the streets and taught you all I knew. You are my heir. Failure is not an option." Slade waved a hand, dismissing Wolf.
Wolf turned and left, leaving Slade alone in his office. He pulled out a drawer in his desk, and took out a bottle of pills. The label read ASPRIRIN. He shook a few pills out onto his hand and gulped those down. He screwed the cap back on and replaced it in the drawer.
Wolf walked through the damp streets. He wrapped his overcoat tightly around him. It was cold. Thunder rumbled beneath his feet. He quickened his pace, wanting to make it home before it rained. He pushed the front door of the house open just as the first raindrops hit the pavement.
He continued up the stairs to the bathroom. He stripped his clothes, revealing toned muscles and the infamous wolf brand. He then stepped into the steaming shower. He slicked his hair back and closed hiseyes, relishing the warm wetness of the water. He got out after a few minutes and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked back downstairs careful to keep his balance on the slippery stairs. He remembered the one time Tigress hadn't paid such heed….
Flashback
Tigress stood in the steamy bathroom combing her wet hair between her fingers. Wolf had been having them training all day. She rolled her eyes. He was so cruel to her never looking at her, and when he did scowling. She hadn't meant to deliberately beat him so he would get branded at auditions; Slade had just had reacted badly to her victory. But Wolf's dirty glares made her fell like it was her own fault. He shook her head; it had been like this for a year. But a shower after a long, sweaty training session felt better than anything in the world. She sighed and she reached out for the blow dryer only to see that it wasn't there. Raven must have left it in the downstairs bathroom. She wrapped a towel around herself and went to retrieve it.
Tigress went down the hall, and then down the stairs. She was half way down the stairs when her toenail got caught in a crack in the wood. She turned her back to the bottom of the stairs and yanked it free. She felt herself loose her balance as her wet feet slipped on the stair. She tumbled backward into the banister.
But the banister was rotten and gave way as she slammed into it. She turned her head to see herself about fall on Wolf, who was standing right below her. She let out a scream, hoping to warn him in time.
Wolf looked up at the scream to see Tigress falling from the stair, breaking the banister and falling toward him. He stepped back holding out his arms to catch her. She landed in his arms with an umph. The back of her knees rested on his left arm and her back on the other arm. She was surprisingly light and her skin felt smooth against his own. She looked at him with a grateful smile. But something about her just infuriated him. Who did she think she was being so careless? He felt anger grip him. And in an instant, he dropped her.
She was unprepared for this drop and dropped to the wood floor with a thump. She hit hard and it sounded somewhat painful. She kept her hold on her towel leaving only one hand to break the fall. A sickening crunch resounded through the room. She cried out and brought her injured arm to her chest. The fractured bone had gone right through her skin. She looked up at him with a look of such pain and sadness he felt like his heart had been wrenched out.
Raven rushed in and escorted the injured Tigress to her room. Raven looked back at him and her being seemed to have an aura of hate for him. Her glare was like What have you done? He turned, ashamed, and went upstairs.
End Flashback
Wolf settled on the couch and stared at the rain. The thick drops pattered on the glass and resounded in the dark room. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Wolf almost missed his comrades, who now where on the wrong side of the law. Tigress's side of the law. The silence in the house made him think of the times when it was filled with Hyena's jokes, Raven's sarcasm, Bear's laughter and Tigress's love.
Flashback
"What did the blonde name her pet zebra?" Hyena said, a joke definitely on the way. Bear, Raven and he sat in a semicircle around Tigress's bed. Her arm was in a cast from the incident with her and Wolf had broken the bone. They stayed with her everyday they could, trying to cheer her up. Undoubtedly, Wolf was yet to visit.
"What?" said Tigress cheerfully.
"Spot!" Hyena roared with laughter as did Tigress. Bear and Raven exchanged looks. They bit back a comment on how dumb the joke had been. They didn't want to crush Tigress's jubilant mood.
She had been put on bed rest for her broken arm and a slipped disk in her back. Although she had laughed and smiled, they were forced and sad. The weather hadn't been lifting mood either. It had rained everyday since the 'accident'. But she seemed truly happy today and the others would do nothing that could possibly spoil it.
"Ok, ok, I got another one. How did the--" Hyena started again, but saw that Tigress was paying attention. Instead, she stared at the doorway, as were Raven and Bear. He followed the gaze to Wolf, who stood uncomfortably at the door. He clutched a single gift and his unrest was evident.
Raven and Bear stood toleave, and Hyena followed their lead. They filed out the door, Raven and Hyena giving him furious glares. Bear just looked away and closed the door behind them. Wolf stood there a second, not surprised at their behavior. Ever since hearing what had happened, the annoyed or avoided glances from the other three were routine.
He stood there for a minute, shifting from one foot to another. He came forward at last, watching his feet. Tigress felt stiff and angry and didn't move as he walked towards the chair that Raven had vacated. He sat down slowly and eyed his surroundings as if looking for hidden cameras or stealthy ninjas waiting to attack. She stared at him, wondering how had had the nerve to come in here. He felt her stare and didn't return it. They sat there for a long while, silent.
"Look, I--" he started.
"Save it, Wolf!" she snapped, cutting him off. Her face was flushed red and her emerald eyes were filled with contempt. "Let's face it! You hate me. And while I don't return that feeling, I'm getting pretty damn close to. So you can suck up the fact that I am not going to back down and let you walk all over me."
Wolf was stunned. No one talked to him like that. His shock turned to fury in record speed.
"I came here to apologize and you jump all over me! I'm sorry I wasted my time," he spat, getting up. Tigress reached out and grabbed his wrist with her good hand.
"No... no, I'm sorry. I should have let you finish. I just thought…. Stay. Please. The others went out to eat. I could use the company…. Even if it is you…."
Wolf sat back down reluctantly, ignoring her backhanded compliment. Her attempts at conversation he shot down promptly and so they just sat there, studying each other.
"What's that?" she questioned, staring pointedly at the gift in his lap.
"It's a gift…."
"For me?" Her face brightened remarkably, like a light bulb had bee turned on. A flicker of smile crossed Wolf's face.
"Yes." He handed her the gift.
She studied it and looked at him. He was pretending not to care, but she could see he was proud of the gift and hoped she would pleased. She unwrapped it with care and opened the box. She squealed with delight as she pulled a silver locket with her initials inscribed into it. It was beautiful, and she held it lovingly. She opened it to see Pictures of Raven, Hyena and Bear.
"Where is your picture?" she asked worriedly.
"I didn't really think you'd picture of me. After how I have treated you."
She nodded. "Wolf, what happened at the auditions--"
"Was not you fault. I just sort of hoped that you would forgive me for making you feel that is was and for dropping you on purpose."
She looked at him. Stoic and invincible Wolf, was now asking her forgiveness and he actually looked vulnerable.
"I forgive you."
"And now you see I am not completely inhuman." They laughed at that and Wolf smiled for the first time.
End Flashback
Wolf pulled himself off the couch. The memories a rainy day can bring forth.
Slade sat in his chair, going through files. He pulled out the drawer full of aspirin and tipped it over to dispense the pills for his daily dose. None came and he shook it. He looked into the bottle to see only a piece neatly wedged paper at the bottom. He pryed it out and read.
Dear Slade,
I am writing this note in regard to you pills. You see, I plan to take over this empire that you will no longer rule. So, I had find a way to get rid of you. I dipped your aspirin in rat poison. You will promptly die once you finish this bottle. I hope you have a nice time in Hell.
XOXOXOXO,
Mamba
Slade gasped, but not in shock, in pain. Mamba's pills ate away at his internal organs with astonishing speed. Too bad she wasn't around to complete Part B. Slade's old head hit the ground. And the days of his tyrannical evil in Jump City were over in a heartbeat.
Wolf was about to leave when the phone rang. He picked it up.
"Slade is dead, Master Wolf," came the voice on the other side. Wolf's world came to a halt. Slade dead? His mentor, his boss, dead?
"Mr. Wolf?"
Wolf thanked the man, set the phone down gingerly and headed out the front door. It was showtime.
Raven and Hyena read the paper on Tigress's old couch while Tigress and Bear with Venus.
Raven looked up suddenly from her paper. She became still and rigid.
"Someone's here," she whispered.
Wow. I feel soooooooo guilty I was on vacation and at camp so I couldn't post. I have on a new story coming soon. A sequel for this one is yet to be determined. Tell me if I should. Part 2 of this poll is should Wolf let Tigress live? Tell me in your reveiws! This time in order for me to post a new chap I want 10 reveiws. Until then, ciao!