Disclaimer: I do not own teen titans or the words to 'Pride' by Seether
Hand in Hand
Chapter Forty-Five: Pride
December 20th 18:35 Slade's Hideout
The room was dark and cold. The windows were boarded up with plywood, so that only thin slivers of light shone around the edges in tiny streams no thicker than a hair's breadth. The wind howled outside, rattling the door handles and shaking the foundations, but that was not the reason that the place was cold.
Suspended along the walls, and along the skirting boards of the perfectly rectangular room, were dozens of mini ice sculptures in various shapes and sizes, animals from all over the world, most noticeably several large renditions of parrots and other exotic birds, their large glass eyes staring out into the centre of the room where two figures clung to each other in the bitterness.
The smaller person was female, and dressed entirely in black, her face masked by brightly coloured feathers. The same feathers ran along her underarms that were wrapped around the other person almost protectively. Her eyes were closed behind the mask, her head resting on the other's chest.
The other person was male, and one hand was wrapped tightly around the Dread Macaw's waist, his other hand resting in her dark hair. His frame was tall and willowy, his fingers long and nimble. His eyes were closed too and his bone white eyelashes were brushing against his cheek as his closed eyes fluttered gently. His short white hair brushed the underside of his young chin, he couldn't have been more than eighteen years of age, but he exuded a harsh aura that made him seem a lot older than his years. He sighed softly, "Hey, Mac?"
The Dread Macaw shifted and looked up at him, her eyes finally opening and resting on his face, "Hmm? I thought I told you not call me that."
He breathed in slowly and then let out a wry chuckle, "You were the one that picked the worst villain name in history. It's too long to say all the time. I had to shorten it."
The Dread Macaw snuggled closer to the warmth, "I don't mind as much. What were you saying?" she buried her face in the warm black cloth slung across his chest.
"I was just wondering. When this is over, and we've completed Master Slade's work…do you want to go to Italy? I've heard it's lovely there. Besides, we'll finally have the money." His voice was quiet and soft in the empty room.
"That would be nice." The Dread Macaw admitted, "I've never been abroad before." She sighed again, and trailed her fingertips along his arm, "I'm so glad that we found Master Slade. He was so kind to save us and take us in."
"He was." Agreed the boy, running his hand through her hair, feeling the silken strands against his ice cold fingers.
Take it, break it, rape it, forsake it (in time you will)
Find it, maim it, thrill it, shame it (in time you will)
Slade was not a man that liked to be kept waiting. But in this particular instance he supposed he would have to, after all the waiting was part of his grand plan. He had taken a risk hiring two more lackeys to pick up the work that Jinx couldn't handle. Ever since Mammoth and Gizmo had been arrested in that bungled armoury raid, her performance really had been going down hill. It was vital that his current plan worked of course, and since threats hadn't seemed to work as well anymore he had gotten her two knew companions, but if she didn't start pulling her weight again, he supposed he would have to…dispose of her somehow.
His own escape from prison had come about through months of tactical planning, worming his way into the guards' psyches so that they feared him more than they feared their supervisors. He was good at messing with people's heads and getting what he wanted. He always got what he wanted.
Now, soon, he would have his ultimate desire, Robin would be under his control and he would take control of Jump City after eliminating the other titans. They really were of no use to him. Raven, he could use, his spies had told him much about her progress, but the others could be discarded.
He entered into the main room, where his two new minions had taken to hiding themselves, and announced his presence by shoving his fist onto the light switch by the door, illuminating the room in all it's boarded up icicle glory.
"Dread Macaw, Kismet. Report. Now!" he barked at them, watching as they jumped to perfect pristine attention and curtsied and bowed respectively. He wondered whether or not they were worth the money that he was paying them, after all he had only seen the girl in action, Kismet was still a shot in the dark, and he had been relying on word of mouth and legend for most of his information.
"Yes sir, Master Slade." Nodded Kismet, moving to stand at ease, "Reports say that the titans' party was a disaster, and that Raven has been falling into despair." The boy's pale pink eyes glittered in the neon white light.
"The relationship between Aqualad and Raven is over." Put in the Dread Macaw clasping her hands in front of her waist, "Reports also say that Terra has left the titans, sir."
Slade felt his eyebrows rise, so the little blonde had finally figured out that she didn't belong where she had decided to stay. "So, Terra has left the titans." He mused out loud, "I wonder if she'll be joining our party then." He smiled to himself.
"That would certainly cause disruption amongst the ranks Master Slade." Confirmed Kismet, "Do you wish for us to locate her? She was last spotted wandering about the down town area. I could go and pick her up. It would not be a problem."
Slade took a swift step forward, pleased when the two of them took two quick steps back in fear, which was how he liked his minions, run by fear and terror, not respect. "Did I ask for your input Kismet?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.
"No." murmured Kismet looking downwards at his brown suede shoes, "Sir." He finished quietly, "Sorry, sir."
Heal my pride,
Leave me blind,
Heal my pride
Slade stopped his advance on them, pleased that they knew he was the boss and that they should fear him. It did not do to have his apprentices and hired help thinking that they could rebel on him. Oh no, that simply would not do. "Good." He replied in a crisp tone, "And for your information, no, we will not be recruiting her. If she comes, then she comes, if not then it is of no consequence." He took a moment to look around at the ice sculptures that surrounded him. Kismet's work. He pursed his lips together in annoyance.
"Understood sir." The pink eyed albino replied, nodding his head once.
Slade fixed the two of them with another glare, "Anything else?"
The Dread Macaw's gaze slid to Kismet and then back to him, "Recent research and gathered information show that there is even further disruption on the Raven and Robin front."
"According to witnesses at the hospital, Robin is debating his break up with Starfire and confessed his love to a comatose Raven." Continued Kismet lightly, hooking his long fingers into the belt loops of his jeans.
"Comatose?" asked Slade in interest, this was new.
Kismet inclined his head, "Sir. She tried to kill herself. Slashed open her wrists a couple of dozen times."
"People suspect that it was something to do with the girl from the party. One, Alexial, worker at Wayne Enterprises." Supplied the Dread Macaw, crossing her feathered arms in front of her chest.
"Ah yes." Remarked Slade, a cruel edge to his words, "I remember now. The death of Azarath a fitting end for such a backwards little planet." He gave a mirthless laugh and leaned back against the wall next to the light switch.
"With respect sir, the Azarathians were an honourable –Ow!"
Slade narrowed his eyes as Kismet started speaking out of turn once again, "What was that?" he questioned dangerously.
Kismet looked down, "Nothing Sir. I didn't say anything." A few strands of his bone white hair fell in front of his face, hiding his half closed eyes from view. Looking closely however, Slade noted with minor satisfaction that the boy's eyes were already beginning to burn under the light.
He glared through the eye slits in his mask at the teenagers before him, if that boy didn't learn to control his tongue, then he would have to be taught a lesson. They needed to know their place and they needed to know that it was not negotiable. Still, he was pleased at the amount of information they had gathered. He would have to think of a way to use it to his advantage. "Good work. You know what to do next don't you?" he asked coldly, debating whether or not he should have them both punished anyway, just for fun.
The Dread Macaw smiled brightly, "Of course Master Slade, we will start the plan tomorrow morning. Nothing can go wrong."
"Indeed." Slade looked at them both, they were only teenagers, yet they were more successful at gathering information than any of his old spies had been. It was just a shame that he had had to spring Kismet from the Mental Institution. He hoped it hadn't been too much of risk, if he proved to be a liability then they would both pay with their blood. "I'll come for your next report at six o'clock tomorrow."
Kismet and The Dread Macaw bowed as he turned to leave. "Yes Master Slade." They chorused.
Take it, break it, rape it, forsake it (in time you will)
Find me, maim me, thrill me, shame me (in time you will)
As Slade left the room, The Dread Macaw hopped to the wall and flicked off the switch, flooding the room with darkness once again.
"Why did you kick me?" asked Kismet softly as he rubbed at his stinging eyes, they were already watering from the bright light, sometimes he thought Slade did it to spite him. He wouldn't put it past the masked criminal. His shin throbbed slightly from where the Dread Macaw had caught him brutally with the side of her boot.
The Dread Macaw made a noise in the back of her throat, "You know why I kicked you, you were speaking out of turn again and to Master Slade. He deserves our respect. He saved us when we thought no one cared. We owe him our lives."
Kismet blinked away the salty tears that had built up at the edges of his eyes and he grinned wickedly, showing off perfect white teeth, "We owe Master Slade our life. Would you listen to yourself? Next you'll start worshipping him."
The Dread Macaw gave an offended squawk, "How dare you mock me!" she smacked him lightly on the arm as she came back over to him, her voice dropped a decibel, "How're your eyes?" her fingers touched the red skin beneath his eyelashes and she frowned, "It doesn't look too bad."
"I'll live." Kismet replied bravely, clasping a hand to his heart in jest, "Don't worry, I'm getting used to the light remember? Besides, tomorrow I'm going to make sure I wear the contact lenses that Master Slade made."
The Dread Macaw sighed, "He's such a great man, Master Slade."
Kismet shook his head and pulled her fingers down away from his face, "You talk as if you're in love with him."
The Dread Macaw stared up at him in silence for a moment, "Don't be silly. I'm just grateful, that's all." She linked her fingers with his and wrapped his arms around her waist, "In just under a month we'll have finished work anyway. We'll be long gone."
Kismet rested his chin on the top of her head, "Hmm. Which plan are we going with tomorrow?" when he didn't get an answer he sighed, "I see how it is. We're doing that are we? No problem. I may drop by and see you some time during the day."
The Dread Macaw sighed, "I knew you'd understand. It's the only way. A frontal attack would be guessing work anyway. It may not work properly." She leaned back into him, "Where do you plan on meeting me then?"
Heal my pride,
Leave me blind,
Heal my pride,
Leave me blind
Kismet gave a dry chuckle in response, "Oh, I don't know. I heard about this great little coffee place called Black Out. I hear they sell great tea." He started stroking her fingers absentmindedly when they tightened around his.
The Dread Macaw snorted, "That old place?" she said in mock disgust, "They couldn't serve decent drink there if they tried." She shook her head, "Fine, you know what, never mind. I'll meet you there in the morning okay. Perhaps we can find out what the word is on the streets about the titans. There hasn't been much crime happening lately."
"No there hasn't. But there have been a lot of parrots flying around." He teased back, "Lots of parrots."
"Macaws Kismet, they're called macaws." Chided the Dread Macaw, "And so what if there's lots of them flying around, they're petty to look at it."
Kismet grinned, "That they are."
"Remember to call me by my alias out on the streets though. People might get suspicious."
Kismet tightened his grip around her, his eyes gradually returning to normal in the cold darkness that seemed to settle over them like a sheet of satin, he was used to such abrupt changes in the conversation, after all he had been putting up with it for years, "And if I call you Mac? Surely they wouldn't get suspicious about that?"
"You call me that in public and I'll disembowel you." She threatened.
"I thought you didn't mind it."
"Slip of the tongue."
I am silence sent to find you,
I am violence sent to find you,
I am silence sent to find you,
I am violence sent to fuck you up
Jinx sat alone in the smallest room of Slade's new hideout, she shivered in the cold and idly twirled her fingers through her pink hair. It was almost unbearably lonely without Mammoth and Gizmo around. They were her friends and she missed them, but Slade had said that it was too much of a risk to spring them out of prison until his plan had been completed.
She wrinkled her nose and flopped back onto the single bed she had been allocated. She was bored. Bored, bored, bored. She wasn't allowed to go and do her own thing in case she was caught and jeopardised the mission, and she wasn't allowed to start her part of the plan until Kismet and the Dread Macaw had competed their part.
She didn't know what she thought about the two newcomers. The Dread Macaw was okay, if a bit eccentric and weird some of the time, but Kismet just scared her. He was creepy and the fact that he had been stuck in the insane asylum for the past three years didn't exactly fill her with confidence.
But every time she asked about what he was doing in there, she always got a different answer. He murdered his parents, he just started screaming for no apparent reason one day, he hears voices and a lot of other random things. She didn't know what to believe. She admitted that he was quite good looking, if you liked that sort of thing, he was just a bit too effeminate for her.
Albinos were freaky.
She stared up at the bare ceiling, she knew all about The Dread Macaws special abilities, to control the minds of parrots and fly with her specially crafted wings, which she supposed was a cool power to have, but she had no idea what Kismet could do. Maybe it had something to do with ice; after all, he did spend abnormally large amounts of times holed away in the darkest room sculpting animals and monsters.
The two of them were too wrapped up in each other to pay her much attention, as they had said when they had first joined, they were just passing through. As soon as the job was done they'd be leaving meaning that she'd be left alone once again.
She sighed.
She really missed Mammoth and Gizmo.
Take me, break me, rape me, forsake me (in time you will)
Find me, maim me, thrill me, shame me (in time you will)
Hate me, hate me, hate me, hate me,
So kill me, kill me, kill me, kill me!