Hurt to Save—Puppets
Victor Van Heiring
IMPORTANT: YAY! So I finally came around to changing the title. As seen above, it will be switched from 'Hurt to Save' to 'Puppets' because of a lovely suggestion made by Liobit. She/he gets to go on my Christmas list this year and he/she deserves a big round of applaud from everyone (clapping like a maniac). But besides that, remember that the story isn't about Marionette. She's just there to get one of the plans in motion so chill when you read the end of this chapter. It's really all about Robin vs. Slade so don't freak out on me here…and thanks for your reviews. I really appreciate them.
CHAPTER FIVE: The new team
It was late at night and he could barely keep his eyes open. Waiting at the tower wasn't such a bad thing—hey, he got to sit around and do virtually nothing—but waiting for the one-eye psycho maniac to call (or that weird chick) was like a nightmare waiting to happen. In all honesty, some of the villains they fought really spooked the heck out of him.
'BB, you there?'
He jumped at first, falling off the couch onto the floor, but the voice came from the consol, not the screen, and the voice belonged to Cyborg, not Slade…Thank goodness.
"Dude, I'm here." He sighed, standing to brush himself off. "Any luck?"
'I can't pick up anything with my scanners and so far I've found squat with my eyes. Raven and Starfire called me earlier. They each searched their sides of the town but we've got nothing.'
Sitting back down again, he tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. "So…there is no bomb?"
'Not from what we can tell, so we're going to join Robin. Could you take a look at the screen and tell us where exactly he is?'
"No prob." Jumping to his feet again, he made his way over to the consol and switched the big screen on. Fiddling around with the buttons for a couple of seconds, he finally found the right one and five bleeping dots, each represented differently by a letter and a unique colour, came up on the screen. Robin's red R popped up in Aimsville Park. "Dude, he's where we had that fight last night. He's at Aimsville."
'Thanks, BB. Stick around in case—'
"Having fun?"
The screen remained the same, but Beast Boy didn't expect to hear the second voice.
AKA: Slade.
'Man, he's not in the room with you…is he?'
Slade chose to ignore Cyborg.
"Since our last conversation together was so rudely interrupted, I decided to call back. I trust you're free?"
Beast Boy didn't answer.
"Yes? Good? Then I also trust you know you're new little friend really has no bomb set up in the city."
'How long did it take you to figure that out?" Cyborg boasted.
"Not nearly as long as it took you."
'…'
BB frowned.
"…I expected as much from you—and I assume you're going to fight her anyway."
'BB cut the line.'
"And then what? Leave your leader to die on his own? Really…sometimes I wonder how you think…"
'…'
"Dude…" Beast Boy muttered. "Spit it out or I will cut the line. What makes you think people actually like listening your lectures?"
"Quite simply, the bomb I have set out should take top priority, and trust me when I say you won't find it. There are more places in a city to hide a weapon of mass destruction aside from underground hide-outs and broken down warehouses. If you're good, I won't set it off."
There was a long pause from both members of the Teen Titans as they each contemplated what Slade meant by being 'good'. But, of course, they were sure he'd explain himself in a second…
"Sit tight in your little tower and make no attempt to contact your leader. I'll be watching you…"
Click.
His line ended.
'Man! I'm not falling for that nonsense! If I just sat around every time some weirdo had a bomb in the city, I'd start rust. BB, you contact Robin. I'm gathering the girls and heading off to the Park. Meet us there when you're finished.'
"Sure thing."
Click.
What would Slade do anyway? It wasn't as though he was going to set off a bomb in the same city he stood in. Besides, the last major weapon of mass destruction he set up in the city turned out to be a dud which led them all on a wild goose chase. That's when he got Robin…
"I smell fish." Beast Boy muttered before taking out his own communicator. Then he dialed up Robin. "Hey, Rob? You there?"
"I should have known such simple instructions would have been too hard for you to handle—and how would I know it would be you to break them?"
Beast Boy freaked at the sound of their archenemy's voice, turning off his communicator before Slade dished out more bad news…That left him with only one choice…
Get to robin before Slade did…if he wasn't already there…
-R-
He didn't mean to hurt her like that…If he'd only known she would have been impaled on the branch he probably wouldn't have shoved her that hard—or at least not in that direction. But…
And she ate people? Was she being serious or was she just insane? Then again, if she was insane then she could have been a cannibal too. Then why was she fighting them…was it really all just because she wanted to fight 'the Teen Titans' or was there something else behind her plan. There could have been millions of reasons why she was there.
"What bothers you, lovely?" She asked in a gentle voice. She came off as sincere until she held out that bloody branch for him to see. "This? But I remain standing—ready to fight? Why does your conscience stop you now?"
Talk about hitting the nail on the head.
"Let's get this over and done with." He spat, trying to regain a calm composure. "You're going to jail."
"Ah, yes…the threat of moving from one prison to another; sounds so dreadful…" She laughed…until her laugh died into a chocking cry and she fell silent for a moment. Then, quietly, she continued. "Am I even at the liberty to say I'm free now? Are you free? Tell me…what exactly is freedom? I know one definition, but I'm sure you know another…"
Marionette looked so pathetic right then and there, leaning off to one side—the side that was stabbed—with one hand holding the small branch while the other closed tightly around the hilt of her blade.
He humored her.
"Freedom is when you do what you want—when you become what you want and say the things that are truly on your mind."
"And are you free?"
He hesitated before giving a nod. "As free as I want to be."
"Then why do you wear a mask?"
…
"Freedom is partly that. But freedom is all on the inside. Anything can happen to a person's body—but when your will and your purpose are yours and yours alone…you're free." She shifted her weight, moving into an easier fighting position. "All we really have that we can call our own is our name and our conscience—even your mind is manipulated from day one."
They charged.
Again he abandoned his bo-staff and sought to fight her hand-to-hand. Surprisingly enough, she abandoned her blade as well and, when jumping clear of his axe-kick, slipped into the back of her belt. Then there came a moment when she was backed up against a tree, grunting from impact, and had their hands connected in a game of push and shove.
"If you were destined to be someone evil…" She started, working hard to say the words while trying to force him back. "…what would you do?"
What a curious question.
"I'd rather die." He muttered. "There have been chances when such a thing could have happened, but I turned away."
"Even as a prisoner?"
Suddenly Slade came to mind.
"Like I said." He assured her. "I'd rather die."
"I see…" With a final shove, she pushed him away and settled back into another martial art fighting stance. He followed suit but didn't attack.
"Why do you ask?"
She shrugged. "I am curious to know how noble a hero is, but the clouds are in my way (remember, she's insane). I'm sure there are many people for whom you'd give your life to say—even the strangers that you come across in any daily routine of yours…but how many of those would you be willing to live for?"
To…live for?
"You're more valuable alive then dead." She explained. "Your friends should move while you're still around, they should see you while you stand because both the good and the bad could make use of you while you're here."
She was hinting to something.
"What do you know about Slade?"
She relaxed, almost seeming relieved that he finally clued in. "Oops…" She joked. "Did I say too much? Please don't tell me I told you the one-eyed man's name as well…"
Either she really was insane…or she was insane and not quite as bad as he thought she was. But she was being protective…
Someone was watching them—and somehow he wondered if it was the AF.
"No." He said slowly, heart thundering in his chest as he thought of the big break she was about to give him. If she gave him a name—a genuine name—he could probably find out almost anything he wanted to about Slade. He could even use the League to help him if he stressed the importance of their aid.
"Are you sure I didn't say Slade—"
-S-
While he intercepted Beast Boy's call, he made the mistake of losing track of Robin and the insane woman. Only for a moment though.
How ironic.
They didn't move anywhere, but he stopped listening to their conversation, still up in the trees, setting the rest of the Titans out of the way. Naturally he wouldn't keep his promise. He was going to level Jump City one way or another and it didn't really matter what they tried to do to stop him.
That's when he heard her say "Please don't tell me I told you the one-eyed man's name as well…"
"…No…"
She was going to tell him.
Thinking fast, he leapt down from his perch and aimed the heel of his left foot directly for her head.
"Are you sure I didn't say Slade—"
Well…he didn't hit her in the head, but the shoulder did the job anyway and she fell to the ground beneath him, crying out in pain from the force and the weight added into the neck. He almost expected Dane's men—the ones hiding here and there in the bushes—to come out and stop her from spilling too much of their information, but perhaps they left after his robots came along.
Speaking of which.
Standing off her to face Robin, he left no time for the boy to talk and simply pushed a button located on his writs. At once his robots followed their previous orders and came out to attack. In one mighty crowd, they leapt in unison and came at the Boy Wonder like the players in a football game, hell-bent on crushing him to death.
Robin, ready as ever, twirled out his bo-staff and attacked with his never-dying determination. And as he did this, Slade reached down and grabbed the young lady by a handful of her tiny braided hair and dragged her after him into the thick forest of trees.
He would deal with her here and now…
-M-
The pain of being landed on, mixed with a loss of blood and the decline in adrenaline, nearly hurtled her into an unconscious state. She was aware of her attacker standing off of her—not being able to see at the moment—and was again aware that she was indeed still conscious when something tugged at her hair and began to drag her off…the first thought that came to mind was Dane or one of his men, but not many of them dared to touch her like that (although she had been pretty beaten in the past in false attempts of escaping or attacking them in turn), but the Halloween made more sense to her. After all, it was his identity she was about to betray and she never very well that he was in the trees watching them. That made her wonder why Dane's mean didn't attack unless, of course, something scared them away…
"You must have a death wish." The assailant hissed in her ear, pulling her to her feet by her hair. Indeed it was the Halloween man.
"'tis the truth." She answered sincerely, and it really was. So long as she didn't die through suicide, she was happy. "But I'm sure I'm not the only one you'd like to kill tonight…"
"Indeed." He muttered and shook her once. Her head hurt but she kept quiet, praying that he wouldn't take off her mask. It might have been foolish for others to think that it brought her strength, but somehow a mask brought her security. She didn't want him looking into her soul anyway…(1)
"How much do you know?" He barked and threw her to her knees. She sat back on her feet and paused, only waiting long enough for her vision to return before answering.
"Everything." She admitted quietly. In the distance she could hear the little boy taking his anger out at the many tin men surrounding him. "I know all about you and him, why you only fight him but never kill him."
"Then tell me how you know." He ordered—and she smiled inwardly. It was the determined that she served, the internally strong that she acknowledged, as those that could strike fear into the heart of their enemies that she respected—and he was frightening.
"When a man lives his life solely to find and solve the lives of others, nothing can be kept from him…and he has the habit of saying what he knows."
She knew he could tell she was talking about Dane. Dane would never rest until the world was free of 'freaks' and since that wasn't going to happen any time soon…
"I made sure to get rid of anyone who knew my name, knew how I became a metahuman—how then, did Dane find out?"
This time she allowed herself to smile behind her mask. "The mouth has a mind of its own. You killed those who knew directly, but what of those who they told aside?"
Family, friends, superiors, companions—secrets beg to be told. Someone could have secretly made a copy of the information concerning—Mary didn't quite know. All she was sure of was that Dane sought every possible outlet of information the moment he was assigned to take down Slade. That was why she listened to Dane when he ordered her to help him with a job. He was strong and determined. He'd rather die than give up.
Slade was contemplating what she told him, stroking his chin as he thought it over. She sat there quietly and waited for him to ask more questions or simply put her out of her misery. Either way, she'd be happy.
"And what about you?" He finally asked, staring down at her once more. "You're not an agent. You're not sane enough."
"Who is? But you're right. He knows me and my doctor, and he won my respect. I have a way with words and he needs to deceive—he'll always have a use for me."
"Do you fear death?" She could tell by the way he said the word that he himself was smiling behind his Halloween mask, maniacal like his true nature. "Do you fear pain?..."
"Death is a foolish thing to fear." Mary answered softly, frightened somewhat more now—but differently than before. It was a past fear that boiled up to the surface and now broke free to the once clean air. "I'll die someday however way I was meant. But there are many things I fear—an endless list it seems…Pain is another foolish thing…to fear…"
At the thought of it she could remember a little girl, older than her when she herself was young, with black hair longer than her own and pathetic green eyes that were blinded by tears. The little girl screamed as she was dragged away from Mary, never to be seen the same again.
Marionette's stomach began to hurt. (2)
"You're a decoy and a puppet." He stated. "And why do you let yourself be used? Is that your purpose too."
"I live to serve." She answered meekly—but without lying. Like always, she couldn't stand to lie. "I fear being useless…I dread the day when I'm no longer needed."
It was her soul purpose to fulfill the plans of others whichever way she could. And whether their motives were good or bad, Mary could have cared less. She lived to serve…never the other way around. As she was forced to promise, she could never be the leader of anyone besides herself, and could she only ever be alone if her orders conflicted with those of another person.
Which reminded her…she was told to steer the boy away from the Halloween man—tonight. Whatever happened tomorrow or thereafter was entirely up to what she was told to do next.
He was contemplating something again. Mary could tell by his hesitation. Perhaps now she could finish her job for the night.
"You want to kidnap him, mold him to a better form?" She implied, catching his attention. He would use whatever deal she made to his advantage, but that's what she was planning in any case. Dane was snapping. This fearful mercenary wasn't. "And I take it you've tried it before…I take it you talked to him too…"
"And?"
Just 'And'. Yes…he was going to make sure he was in control.
"He hates you too much." She stated simply. "That's why he doesn't listen."
"And I wouldn't have thought of that already because?..."
Moody…wasn't he?
"I have a way with words."
Now he saw her idea.
"Perhaps there is a use for you…" He answered, still boring down at her with that solitary gray eye. Again, she was grateful for her own mask. "But what about your orders from Dane."
"He gave me the order to keep him safe from you tonight, but if you give me orders that start no sooner than dawn tomorrow morning, than anything he orders in conflict would be null."
She had her own laws and regulations. Mary adopted them from her both her idols and her tormentors (3).
"And why should I believe you?"
"If you don't, then you can kill me. Do you honestly believe I stand a chance against you?"
The answer to that, boys and girls, was no.
In the distance she could hear the battle coming to an end. Even farther off she could hear another Titan calling out the name of their leader as they neared. Slade could either act now or take her up on her offer.
"If you help me capture him and make him believe he would be better off by my side, than I would allow for you to live. I would even go so far as to free you from Dane and his men—but fail or true to double-cross me once, and you will regret ever being born."
With a nod she stood. "I trust you know where to find me tomorrow. From now on, your orders rule over Dane's."
"Good." He was smiling behind his mask again, backing up into the shadows. "And if you see, Dane, tell him his friend is in good hands…"
"No doubt…" She whispered, taking off in the opposite direction. "I suppose you'll return him back in better condition than what he was taken in…" (4)
-V-
(1) "She didn't want him looking into her soul anyway…" –this is pretty self-explanatory. 'Your eyes are the windows to your soul'…that kind of thing…
(2) "Marionette's stomach began to hurt…" –I can't tell you about this yet until you read further into the story, but if you know her nature (which I've already told you a little about) then you should know a little bit about what this means. The other little girl (which I will tell you now anyway) is…was her older sister.
(3) "Mary adopted them from her both her idols and her tormentors…" –I'll let you know ahead of time that Mary wasn't always insane. Her idols are just philosophers and other great minds she agreed with, and her tormentors are the people who made her insane. I'm telling you all this because, as I've said before, Marionette isn't too important in the story, so you don't have to worry if you don't understand a thing about her. Just know that she was tortured at one point, went insane, and works for the AF when they call her up at the asylum.
(4) "I suppose you'll return him back in better condition than what he was taken in…" –It's a little bit of foreshadowing here, because obviously Slade isn't going to tie Mark up and leave him in the corner for the entire story. He's really peeved off at the AF, so he's going to give them an early Christmas present. Don't worry, he'll stay in one piece, but what'll happen to him is going to make Dane's job a tad bit harder and the Titans a tad bit easier…not easy enough that they'll win right away…Oh, just read the next chapter…
That was fun…and I just realized I write longer chapters than Alex…waaaaaay longer chapters. Oh—and after the next chapter I will officially change the title which is displayed on the site to "Puppets". This way you don't have to worry about searching for it. This way you get more time…
Signing out,
Victor Van Heiring