"..."
Exhausted.
Totally exhausted, both physically and mentally.
My legs trembled and threatened to give out at any minute. My shoulders hung low and my arms swayed limply at my sides. Even my neck didn't have enough strength to hold up my head, so my view was that of the ground during my trek.
It was a long walk back to the facility. I could have used the wind song to fly back, but my heart didn't have a melody at the moment. My guitar rode meekly on my back, quiet and dead. The sun rose above the horizon to my left, but I barely glanced at it. For now, it held no beauty for me.
Zillah...it was really her. I hadn't been sure at first, but now there was no doubt. The sight of the girl invoked all kinds of feelings in me. The lines of our lives had converged only briefly, but that brief time contained the event that possibly shaped who we had become.
I felt guilty. We were no different. And yet our places in the world were. I was with the Teen Titans...and her with Neo HIVE. Zillah should be standing by my side with the white hats and not across from me.
Or maybe I deserved to stand beside her...
I sighed and finally forced myself to look up. The facility ahead was just as busy, but infinity more quiet. Squad cars, social services vans and unmarked military vehicles all blinked and lined around the front entrance. Officials of all kinds scurried from one place to the other. Some stockpiled the confiscated weapons cache. Others were leading away HIVE soldiers while detectives pulled some over to the side to question them. Others still, obviously not military or police, escorted rescued children away from the smoking site. Only...there didn't seem to be that many. Maybe there were finishing up.
Just then, Robin exited the building with Starfire, Static and Noir following behind. Starfire was carrying a child in her arms, which an official immediately relieved her of.
I threw on a smile, trying to cheer myself up a bit. And why shouldn't we be happy when-
"Mission complete, huh? Time to rack up the gil and experience, I reckon." I gestured. "Teen Titans, one. Bad guys, zero!"
I stopped when I saw the Titans' faces. All of them looked like I felt, or even more so. They looked tired and haggard...and kind of haunted. I frowned.
"What about Mister Freeze?" I asked Robin. "He was the one you were worried about, right? We get him?"
"Mister Freeze..." Robin let his cape swallow his shoulders. He looked straight ahead. "He's finished."
He walked on without another word. The other Titans followed him. I looked at Noir and opened my mouth, but he seemed as preoccupied as the rest. It didn't really matter, I suppose. I felt the same way, more or less. Sometimes you just got to know when to keep your mouth shut.
I took a deep breath and followed the team away from the facility.
TTTTTTTTTT
Professor Chang paced down a dimly lit hallway with Flaar walking silently behind him. He stopped at a large door, where a HIVE soldier stood sentry.
"The Headmistress is expecting you, Chang."
Chang nodded briefly and waited for the sentry to open the door. That done, he stepped into the room with Flaar following behind hesitantly.
The room was even darker than the hallway. At the pinnacle of the room sat a desk and, behind it, a graceful figure clouded in shadows.
"You disappoint me, Chang." The Headmistress chided him coldly. "The facility you lost was instrumental to the experiment. We now have to start anew."
"Surely you don't blame me." Change wheedled. "I am a scientist, not a fighter. I did my job. Booker was the one that failed. The girl...Fraust...she led them straight to us. The Teen Titans, Mister Freeze and many of Booker's former 'children'. Did you expect me to repel such a force?"
The Headmistress leaned forward slightly.
"What would you have me do, Chang?"
"Create a new facility at once, of course. The experiment must continue. The facility...while important...is quite insignificant compared to our goal, wouldn't you say? Hm?"
"You are scientist. So you know..."
Chang tilted his head to listen.
"So you know...the first rule of a proper experiment. If you don't want the procedure repeated...clean up the dirty pieces."
A metal object could be heard scrapping over the top of the desk. Chang stepped forward.
"What-URK!"
SKKKINKKT!
A gleaming dagger impaled in his throat. He choked, his eyes surprised, and instinctively tried to reach for it. His fingers barely touched the hilt before his legs gave way and he fell to the floor with thump.
Flaar stared in shock.
"Unless you wish to share his fate, I suggest you remove him from my sight.
Flaar trembled.
"Y-yes, Headmistress!"
The Headmistress leaned back and idly watched the grim business of cleaning up.
ZZZZZZZZZZ
I sighed and leaned my back against the tree trunk. I had my knees folded up to my chest and clasped them in place with my arms. Before me was the sunrise and, while I looked in that direction, I never really saw it.
Things were getting complicated.
Jonny...Bard...whatever he called himself now. Why did he have to show up again? Why did he have to remember?
I pulled a cell phone from my robe, dialed a number and pressed it to my ear."
"Yes?"
"It's me...Zillah."
"You have something to report?"
"The Neo HIVE facility...was attacked today. The Teen Titans and Mister Freeze...among others...assaulted the place. We no longer have control."
"That is...disappointing. I believed the Headmistress to be more efficient than that."
"It was due to Chang and Booker. They were inept as well as overconfident."
"I see. Those men are certainly not salt of the earth."
"..."
"Something else is troubling you. What is it?"
It was not a question. I shuddered at how easily he had 'seen' it.
"Nothing. Only..."
"Yes?"
"There is a new Titan. He goes by the name of Bard."
"Is he a threat?"
"No. Well...yes. But-"
"If he troubles you so, I will have him killed. Simple as."
"But-"
"Anything for you."
CLICK!
I hugged myself, the dial tone doing nothing to console me.
