Episode 13: Betrayal
Note: I don't own Teen Titans, just in case I hadn't said.
Things were going relatively well for the Muse on her own. At least, she didn't break down. Claire kept her eye out for anything wrong, and when she saw something that needed the Muse's attention she let Precious know as soon as she could. Sometimes she even pulled Precious out of school (Precious now attended middle school, seventh grade. Claire home schooled her for half the day). Most people treated the Muse with respect, but there were some criminals who weren't as intimidated by her because of her disability. She was pushed around more than she would have liked, but she somehow managed to get the job done anyway. Actually, if it weren't for that snag, she may have never met her new superhero partner.
She first saw him at a bank robbery. "Stop!" she yelled at the perpetrators.
"Well, lookee here boys," the ring leader said. "If it ain't Muse, the retard vigilante."
"It's autism, not mental retardation," the Muse retorted. "I'm actually quite smart!"
"Yeah, but I heard you're not really strong!" Before she could stop the gang, they took turns striking at her. The leader held a gun to her head. "Not so super now, huh? You gonna stay out of our way?"
Just out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone else. He wore a Viking helmet with horns and two slits for eyes, as well as an expressionless mask. He also wore a golden cape. The rest of his costume was just normal street clothing. The Muse didn't know what to make of it all, but then she saw him grabbing the robbers' bag of money. "Hey!" she screamed.
"Hey you! Give that back!" the robbers screamed all at once. The mysterious boy ran with the bag to the vault and pounded his fist on the door. The Muse understood. He was trying to open it and put the money back where it belonged. It wasn't working, but at least it was providing enough of a distraction for the Muse to get back to doing her thing. She used her powers to restrain the robbers just in time for the cops to come.
She approached the stranger as a bank teller was taking the money back from him. "Thanks for your help. Who are you?"
The stranger didn't answer. Instead, he put a slip of paper into the Muse's hand. Then he ran away. The Muse looked at the paper expecting to see a secret message. It must have been secret, so secret that even she couldn't read it. It looked like a bunch of scribbles.
She came home confused. "I hear you caught them, honey," Claire greeted. "Good job."
"Thanks. Mommy, can you read this?"
Claire looked at the paper. "It doesn't look legible to me. Where did you get this?"
"Well, there was this guy who came out of nowhere to help me. He wouldn't tell me who he was. All he did was give me this, and I can't read it. Do you think he's making fun of me somehow?"
"I don't know, honey."
"Wait, I got an idea." That evening, she scanned and e-mailed the cryptic message to Richie. "Backpack is equipped with all sorts of code breakers and language programs. Maybe it can decipher the message."
But when she called Richie on the Shock Box the next evening, he was stumped. "I have no idea. It looks like a little child wrote this. Maybe he didn't know it was so hard to read."
"That's an idea. Maybe Adam can tell what it means. Is he still on tour?"
"Yeah, I think so. I don't think Adam would help much. I think your best bet is to ask the guy himself."
"Well, I guess I could try."
But for some reason, the Muse couldn't catch him. He often appeared at the end of the battles, looking at her mysteriously. Sometimes he was able to create a distraction before she got hurt like that last time, but he never helped her ward off the villains. Before she could approach him, he would always take off. He never said a word to anyone.
"He's the strangest superhero I've ever seen," the Muse said as she called Static and Gear. "Who's ever heard of a superhero who doesn't really do anything?"
"I have. They're usually called 'sidekicks,' " Static replied.
"Hey!" Gear and the Muse said simultaneously.
"But you guys are different! You're partners, not sidekicks."
"The way you keep talking about him, though, he acts like he's trying to do something," Gear said. "Maybe you ought to give him more time."
"How much time can I give him?"
"It's up to him, you know."
"At least he's trying to help you rather than trying to upstage you," Static pointed out. "That's how it was when Rubberband Man and Shebang started out with us."
"I guess that's true."
"Why don't we try to think up a superhero name for him? That way at least he won't be some mysterious stranger."
"I don't know. He might already have one picked out."
"Hey, many superheroes have their names chosen by the populace, like Superman and Spiderman," Gear pointed out.
"So, you're sure it's OK?"
"If you're too worried about it, we'll only use it privately, alright?"
"OK."
"So you say he wears a Viking helmet?" Static asked.
"Well, it's golden, and it has horns."
"Yeah, that sounds Viking, alright," Gear said. "Did you know you're part Viking?"
"I am?"
"Yeah. We're mostly Irish, but we got Scandinavian blood as well. So this is part of your heritage. Who knows? This person might be you're Valkyrie."
"What's a Valkyrie?"
"It's a messenger sent from Valhalla to choose the greatest warriors in the world. Of course, if you see one, it means you're going to die."
"Well, that's cheerful," Static said sarcastically.
"It wouldn't work anyway. Valkyrie would have been a great name, but it would only work if it was a girl. I guess 'Viking' is probably taken, and 'Thor.' How about Votan? No, that doesn't sound right. How about Siegfried? He was a Viking hero."
"Yeah, but everybody will ask, 'Where's Roy?'"
"Good point. I know! Ragnarok!"
"Who's that?" Precious asked.
"It's not so much a person as it is an event. It means 'the fate of the gods,' and it refers to the destruction of Valhalla. It was so powerful that it's used in a lot in video games for the strongest attacks."
"Oh yeah. I think I remember that Cumulus learned Ragnarok as his highest attack on the Seventh Ultimate Dream," the Muse answered. "It might work. Ragnarok is fun to say anyway. And you know, I think it's also going to be some future slang. At least, I remember your future selves say Ragnarok a lot. I didn't know what it meant."
"Uh, cool," Static said uncertainly. "So, you'd be starting a trend."
"Hey honey, can you head down now? There's an emergency!" Claire called up.
"Oh, I gotta go. Something big's coming up."
She heard beeping in the background. "It looks like we had a big thing going on here too," Gear said.
"Yeah," Static answered. "There's an attack at Alva industries. We'll talk later, ok?"
"OK. I miss working with you guys!"
"Miss you too, Muse," Gear answered.
"Look after yourself, girlfriend," Virgil added.
Precious signed off and immediately transformed. Then she ran downstairs. "So, what's going on?"
"There's an attack at Lexcorp downtown. They say on TV that several men in metal masks came rampaging in. Lex Luthor may be a crook, but his company does mean a lot of jobs for our town."
"Alright I'll take care of it."
"Be careful, Sweetie!" Claire called after the Muse as she flew away.
She made it down to Lexcorp's major offices and took on the intruders. She used her powers to stop them in their tracks. Strangely, however, none of the intruders put up much of a fight. It was tiring because there were so many of them. Something about these perpetrators was oddly familiar, but the Muse couldn't put her finger on it.
Her hardest fight was in the highest office. Two of the intruders were attacking Lex Luthor himself. Once again, the Muse stopped them with ease. Then she approached the boss who lay beside his desk. "Are you ok, Mr. Luthor?"
He pushed her off as she tried to help him back up to his feet. "Get your hands off of me, you brat!" he snapped at her.
"What? After all the money you donated to charity, this is how you treat . . ." She trailed off as she saw a shadow come over her. Someone was standing in the window above the office. Things started to fall into place. She knew that shadow. The person who owned it began to withdraw. "Stay very still, Mr. Luthor. I think I found the brains of this."
The Muse flew very slowly up to the window. Something was telling her this was a trap, because that was the kind of thing this villain would do. But what other choice did she have? Who else could help her? Not even Ragnarok was here. So she flew through the window into a small room and approach the evildoer. "Slade."
The villain surveyed the hero with his one visible eye, and in that deep, icy voice of his, he said, "Slow again, Muse. I could have taken over Lexcorp by the time you found me."
"Well, hello to you too," she muttered.
"Good, Muse. I see the time you spent with Static and Gear has proven fruitful after all. You have sharpened your wit."
"Why are you here?" she demanded. "I thought I disproved you last time. I showed you that I wasn't a weakling. I thought you had enough."
"Of you? Hardly."
"Then why did you wait so long to show your face . . . er, mask again?"
He paused and crossed his arms. "You are rather apprehensive, Muse."
"Well, if I took by force your greatest treasure, the aspect that makes you what you are, you'd be 'rather apprehensive' too, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you?"
Slade was silent.
The Muse sighed loudly. "What good is it to talk to you anyway? You never answer my questions."
Slade slowly applauded. "Well done, Muse. You grasped a concept that Robin never could. In light of this, I will tell you why I am here. Do you realize that you are the only foe I have ever faced who successfully put me in jail? That's where I found myself when you banished me from Themyscira. You defeated me, and that made you a worthy adversary."
"Yeah, that was kinda what I was aiming for. I mean, sending you to jail, not making you an adversary."
"But you weren't one of the Titans. I saw no reason to step out of my element again and face you. But then, you provided some information that made the challenge all the more interesting. You decided to be honest."
"Do you mean with the whole autism thing?"
"Exactly. Now, I have a question for you. Why did you keep that information under lock and key for five years?"
"I wasn't the one who put it under lock and key."
"Explain."
"Why should I? You won't answer my questions!"
"Point taken, but perhaps I should remind you that you are speaking to a very dangerous individual. Most normal people do whatever such individuals ask with no argument."
"But this goes so deep. I haven't talked about this to anybody since it happened, not even my closest friends."
"My finger is on the button, Muse."
"Alright. It was kept from me. It seemed like everybody knew except me."
A flicker of interest crossed Slade's eye. "Really?"
"Yeah." The Muse turned away from him and spoke to the wall. "I mean, I can understand it to a point. I'm sure they all had their reasons."
"I'm sure they did."
"But part of me still feels hurt. How could everyone I ever trusted and loved keep a secret so important to me?" The Muse began to sob. "It's just . . . I felt . . . I felt . . ."
"Betrayed?"
"Yeah, maybe a little. Wait. B-E-T-R-A-I--no, Y–to commit treason against, to be a traitor to, to be false or disloyal to, to make known unintentionally, to reveal, to lead astray or deceive. Well . . . I don't know. 'Betrayed' is a strong word isn't it?"
"You can't capture betrayal with a dictionary definition. In order to understand what betrayal is, you must experience it."
"And I pray I never do."
"You cannot trust such prayers to be answered. But if you do experience betrayal, you'll have somewhere to go."
"What makes you think I–?"
But before she could finish her question, Slade held up some kind of device. He pushed a button, and a blinding flash emitted from it. When the light faded, Slade was gone. The Muse felt very disoriented for moment, and once she got her bearings she got a really bad headache. Groaning, she climbed down from the small room. "Everything's safe now, I think," she told Lex Luthor on her way out.
On the way to the stairs, she finally ran into Ragnarok. "It's over," she told him. "I've talked to the leader of this whole thing, and he disappeared." Ragnarok nodded and ran away. "Hey wait! We need to talk!"
But Ragnarok didn't look back, so Precious went home. "How'd it go, Honey? Did you successfully smite the wicked?" her mother laughed when she came home.
"This isn't good, Mommy. It's Slade. He's the Teen Titans arch enemy. I've been up against Slade before. Last time he nearly stole my ability to imagine. He's really tough, and he gives me the creeps big time."
"You think the guys could help?"
"Maybe. Hey, Starfire told me nobody knows Slade better than Robin. Maybe I should call the Titans on my new communicator."
"OK. Well, dinner will be ready in about half an hour."
"Alright. Oh, Mommy, could I have some aspirin, please? I got a really bad headache."
"You may."
"Thank you."
As Precious went back upstairs, there was a knock of the door. Claire opened it. Nobody was out there. "Hello?" she asked. There was a flash out of nowhere. She closed the door. "Stupid teenagers," she muttered under her breath.
Precious opened her Titans communicator. It surprised her, but that wasn't all. Robin's picture appeared on the flip. "This is Robin of the Teen Titans. How can we help?"
"Oh, hi Robin. It's the Muse."
Robin smiled. "Hey Muse! How are things going since leaving Dakota?"
"Pretty good, but I need some advice from you and maybe your help."
"OK, what's up?"
"I was just attacked by . . . Slade."
Robin's smile faded, and he punched something off-screen. "I knew it! I knew he wasn't gone forever! Alright, tell me everything."
Precious told him everything she remembered. Robin sometimes interrupted to ask questions, and she answered the best that she could. Finally, Robin sighed. "Well, that must mean you're next."
"Next? Next for what?"
"Slade has chosen you . . . to be his next apprentice."
"WHAT?"
"That what he wants more than anything, well besides global domination of course. He wants someone young that he could share all of his evil plans and secrets with."
"Why does he want that?"
"Slade doesn't like to resolve a lot of those 'why' questions, you know. He never told me why he's so earnest about getting an apprentice. I have a lot of theories."
"Wait, how do you know so much about Slade anyway?"
"Because I was his first apprentice."
"No way! You didn't–"
"I had no choice. He threatened to destroy my friends if I didn't fight on his side."
"What did you do?"
Robin told her the whole story of his experience with Slade, and then he told her about Terra. "That is awful," Precious said. "He is evil."
"Very evil."
"And he wants me to join him now?"
"It sounds like it."
"Oh my goodness, you're right! I just remembered, at Themyscira after he poisoned me, I started crying really hard, and he told Omnaura that if I cried long enough, I would lose all of my individuality and emotions, and then he said I'd be theirs to mold. It nearly worked too. I got to a point where I felt so numb, and everything he said in his ominous voice resonated in my head, like it was my own thoughts. It was awful."
"Yeah, Starfire and Raven felt that way too. They told me their version. They said they felt hopeless. So, I guess it's pretty certain."
"But I don't understand! I'm not strong or agile. He always complains of my being slow. I'm not what he'd want. Why is he after me?"
"That's another 'why' isn't it? You know how it is with those questions and Slade."
"Right. OK, I think I know how to resolve this. Slade will come back and offer to make me his apprentice, and I'll say yes."
"You'll do WHAT!"
"Wait, hear me out. I'll be a terrible apprentice, and Slade will fire me. Then I won't have anything to do with Slade ever again."
"I . . . don't think it'll work."
"Why not? That's how it works on TV."
"This isn't reality TV. It's real. Look, I think we ought to come help you. We have a lot more experience with Slade."
"You sure? Will he try to destroy you again?"
"Trust me, Slade is not one to do the same trick twice. Just meet us on the roof of the Daily Planet. That's a well-known monument."
"Where will you stay?"
"Hey, the T-Bird's got pretty cushy cabin space. Maybe we could arrange for Raven and Starfire to stay with you. They've talked about doing that a lot. We'll be down there in probably about an hour. So meet us . . ."
Then, everything around Robin turn red. Alarms sounded in the background. She could also hear some of the other Titans' voices shouting. "I don't believe it," Robin sighed. "He knows us too well."
"What's going on?"
"It looks like Slade is attacking down here. He's stopping us from what we were just going to do."
"How can that be possible? He was just down here and . . . how could he be in two places at once?"
"'How' questions are also really hard to answer with Slade. But it's probably his robotic drones. He must have thousands of those. Well, we can't make it to Metropolis right away, so for right now, let me just give you some advice."
"I'm listening."
"No matter what, don't become Slade's apprentice."
"Why not? Why don't you like my plan?"
"It's not going to work like that. Trust me, instead of firing you he'd be more likely to beat you up and toss you out like yesterday's lunch meat. I don't think you'd be able to survive. And if you do meet him again, one thing about Slade is that he likes to play with people's thoughts. Just remember, he never tells the whole truth. Don't let him play mind games with you. If you give him just an inch of conviction, he'll win you over to his side. I never told the Titans this, but he was very close to brainwashing me forever. He told me that my biological signs indicated that I enjoyed fighting my friends, and I started to believe that it was true. And you heard what happened to Terra. She would have been a great hero, if he hadn't had gotten to her. So don't listen to a thing he says! Never believe him! Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"I don't want to lose you like we lost Terra. I mean, I know I don't know you very well, but your friendship means a lot to us, especially to Starfire and Raven."
"OK, I'll make sure I'll remember everything you told me. Pray for me, please?"
"Uh, sure."
"Thank you for everything. Good luck!"
"Same to you. You need it."
"Thanks. Tell the others that I said hi."
"I will. Robin out."
The little communicator went black. Precious picked up her Shock Box. "Wassup?" Static answered.
"Hey, how'd it go?" Precious asked.
"Well, it wasn't all that difficult. If you don't mind, though, can we talk later? We just took on these metalheads, and Gear and I both have bad migraines, and it's hard to think."
"OK, but let's talk as soon as we can. This is pretty important." As Static signed of, Precious muttered to herself, "'M-I-G-R-A-I-N-E, a severe, recurring headache, usually affecting one side of the head.' They have headaches too? That's odd."
She lay in bed until her mother called her down to supper. Precious told her everything she had heard. "These headaches must be infectious. I just got one too. Maybe it's a symptom of a virus."
"Oh no. Slade spreading a virus? This could be very bad."
"Well, Slade may have nothing to do with it. Remember, he's human under that mask. Maybe he has a cold."
"No, I don't think so. I didn't feel anything until he nearly blinded me with a flash of light. I bet that has something with everything."
"It must have been very bright."
"Yeah, I guess so. I'm tired. I'm going to bed early."
Precious went upstairs and got ready for bed. She wanted to read, but her head hurt too much to concentrate. So she turned out the lights and tried to think. "Slade. What does he want? Why is he after me? Why isn't he taking this up with the Titans? Oh, what good is it asking all of these questions? They'll never be answered. Slade is probably laughing at me right now. Wait, I don't think I've ever heard him laugh. That's strange. Every other villain I ever matched had some kind of diabolical laugh. Why doesn't he? He would be the most likely to laugh, wouldn't he?"
She kept thinking about these questions until she drifted into a deep sleep. Then she rose from her bed and went downstairs. "Good morning, Mommy," she yawned. Claire answered by striking Precious' face and throwing her out before she could ask why. Then she transformed into the Muse and she began flying. Static and Gear were both in the air. They were flying far ahead of her, and the more she tried to catch up, the faster they went. Then she realized that they were deliberately staying out of her reach. She called out to them, but they acted like they couldn't hear. Then she saw Titan Tower. She went inside. Everyone turned their backs on her. Raven wouldn't even acknowledge the Muse when she called out telepathically.
She went back outside to catch her breath. A hooded figure came up to her. "What is wrong, child?"
"Everyone I love has left me. I'm all alone."
"Oh, poor girl," the figure whispered gently. "You don't deserve this. Let me take you in."
"But I don't know who you are."
"You can trust me. Take my hand."
Precious reached for it hesitantly. The hand grasped her fingers and squeezed them. He was crushing her. "Sir, please, you're hurting me." He held on harder. "No. Let go! Let go! Let go!" She finally managed to pull her hand out of his grip, and as she did she knocked off his hood, revealing his face. It was Slade.
Precious backed away in shock. Slade looked straight at her silently. He seemed to linger, and then he slowly started to fade away in a Cheshire Cat fashion. His eye was the last to disappear.
Then Precious realized that she was in her room. "It's just a dream," she said to herself. She lay back in bed until she fell asleep again. If she had another dream, she didn't remember it. The first dream was already starting to fade in her memory. When she woke up next time, the sun was up. She checked her clock. "9:00? Why didn't Mommy wake me up for school? Is something wrong?"
She got dressed and went downstairs. Claire was in the living room watching the morning news while drinking coffee. "Mommy, I should have been at school an hour ago. What's wrong?"
Claire turned around. "What did you call me?"
"Mommy. That's who you are."
"No, hon. I don't have a child."
"What! Yes you do! You have me! Precious Swan!"
"Well, that does sound like something I'd come up with, but I'm not a mother. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you don't belong here! Get out!"
"Mommy, don't! Please!"
"I'm not having it! I'm not giving you free food and shelter! 'If one will not work, neither shall he eat!' Out!" And to Precious' shock and horror, her mother pushed her out of the house.
"What kind of strange joke is this?" Precious wondered. "Or is Mommy punishing me for something? Why does this feel familiar? Maybe I could find somewhere I can stay, like Dakota. I just need to get my superhero stuff." She climbed up the fire escape ladder to her room and quickly grabbed Magic Hat 2, her uniform, her Shock Box, and her Titan communicator. She tried to page both of her communicators, but she got no response on either of them. "Weird. Well, once I get down there, I'll find out what's going on with that."
It took her a long time to get to Dakota. She didn't remember how to get there from her home. However, she finally managed, and she made it to the gas station. Virgil cracked open the door before she approached it. "Uh, you know that this gas station is closed."
"Virgil, it's me!"
"Virgil? I . . . don't know anybody by that name."
"Yeah, you do. It's you! And you know it."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Virgil!" she whined. "Well, is Richie there?"
"Uh, Richie?"
"Or Gear. Please, let me talk to him! I'm his cousin!"
"Cousin?" Richie's voice said in the back. "I only have one aunt, and she doesn't have a kid."
"She did to! She had me, Precious Swan!"
"Look," Virgil said, "this is kinda a secret hideout, and you're not supposed to be in on the secret. So forget you were ever here, ok?"
"But–" But before she could argue, he slammed the door in her face. "I don't believe this. Maybe Aunt Maggie will remember me."
Aunt Maggie opened the door and listened to Precious' plight. "Oh you poor dear. Wait a moment." She went back in the house and came back out with her purse. She gave Precious five dollars. "Get yourself a supper at Burger Fool."
"What? Wait!" But Aunt Maggie closed the door. "No! Mr. Hawkins. Even if he doesn't remember me, he'll help me."
Mr. Hawkins didn't remember her, but he did offer his help and gave her his number. Sharon walked down the hall of the community center, passed by Precious, and didn't even say "hi."
"Well, I guess my next bet is to go down to Gotham. Or maybe the Titans will take me in. Maybe I'll finally get to stay at the tower. Terra's old room probably available now."
Finding the tower was easier than she anticipated. She knew it was in the east. She pounded on the door. "Please, let me in! Nobody else will let me in!" Robin opened the door. "Robin, please tell me you remember me!"
"Sorry, no room."
"Oh, but you do have a vacant room. I know you do."
"I said no room!"
"Look, whether or not you had a room was beyond the point. I said do you remember me?"
"Nope, never seen you before."
"We talked just yesterday on our communicators! See?"
"How'd you get one of those?"
"You gave it to me for my thirteenth birthday!"
"We had a bad experience letting somebody into the Titans. We're not hiring right now."
"I'm not asking to be in the Titans! I'm asking for help!"
"We can't help you right now. I'm sorry."
"No!" Robin closed the door. "Raven!" she screamed in her mind. "Remember me, the Muse? Please say that you do, please!" But she got no answer. "Oh, dear God, why? Help me!" she screamed at Heaven.
She flew to the town, hid herself in an alley, and bawled. The sky began to cry as well. What did this all mean? Why did everybody leave her? What can she do now?
"Looks like you have nowhere to go."
Precious gasped and turned around. "Slade!" She was shocked at his sudden appearance, but somehow she was also relieved. She couldn't explain why.
Slade put his hands on her shoulders surprisingly gently. "Yes, I know it hurts," he whispered. "Just let it out."
"Why? Do you want me to cry out my individuality again, until I'm your puppet?"
"Not this time."
Precious sobbed. "I can't believe they all left me alone!"
"Why is it such a surprise to you?"
"They were people I loved and trusted. You wouldn't happen to know what's going on, would you?"
"Actually, I do. I told you yesterday, remember?"
"What did you tell me?"
"I said that betrayal cannot be captured by words but by experience. This is betrayal, Muse."
"No. Why would they?"
"People are afraid of what they do not understand. They are afraid of you because of your condition."
"But they knew before I did, most of them did."
'And they kept it from you. They didn't have your best interests at heart. They were cruel from the beginning. Haven't you noticed that they used you this whole time?"
"That's ridi–well, that may be right. My goodness, I never knew. But my own mother! Why would she betray me?"
"It's no surprise. Most parents of autistic children give up. They hand them over to mental hospitals. It was only a matter of time since she decided she could not handle you anymore."
"But I've been getting better!"
"How would you know? You're not cured, are you?"
"But there is no cure! There maybe one in the future, but not now."
"That's your problem. Until you're normal, they won't ever give you the respect you need. However, I am different. I am on your side, because I know very well how you feel."
"You have been betrayed too?"
"Many times. Robin betrayed me. Terra betrayed me. Omnaura betrayed me."
"Omnaura? It must have been because you couldn't defeat me."
"That was part of it. You don't know the whole tragedy. She, and the others, turned from me when I needed them. But I was faithful to them, and I will be loyal to you. I will never betray you. I will hold no secrets from you."
"But all you are is secrets."
"No longer. Whatever you ask, I will answer. I am sure you have many questions. You have been hungering for answers ever since we met. Go on dear. Ask me anything. Ask me who I am. Ask me what I am planning. Ask me why I hate the Titans. Ask me how I liquified complacency. It is all at your disposal. Test me, Muse. Test my word."
"Well, there was one thing I was wondering last night, just as I was going to sleep."
"Tell me. Go ahead."
"See, I have faced many villains, and one thing about them is that they all have this laugh. You know, that kind of laugh that they make when they feel everything is going according to plan. And you're really good at having everything going according to plan, maybe better than any other villain I faced. And yet you haven't done as much as crack a sm–" (She turned to him and realized that his mouth wasn't even visible.) "OK, never mind that part, but anyway, why don't you ever laugh?"
"Very good question to start with. Come here. I will tell you." She came closer to him, and his mask knelt down to her face level as he whispered, "I'm much too cool for that."
And then, his one eye winked.
Precious couldn't stop herself. She giggled madly.
Slade put a finger under her chin. "You're pleased? Good."
"Wait a minute," Precious said as she backed away. Lightning and thunder began to strike. "This information can't come without a price, and I know that price! You want me to be your apprentice!" Lightning struck again.
"Now, what told you that?"
"I had a talk with Robin yesterday, before he betrayed me. He said that was what you were after. But have you thought this through? I don't know much about you, but I know your type. You're very strong and fast, supple and coordinated, and I'm not! And don't tell me you're going to teach me how, because I know that's not going to work. Didn't Omnaura tell you? My cerebellum doesn't work right."
"I know all of this, Muse, and I have thought it through. I have plans for you. I will see to all of your needs. I will nurture you as I would my own daughter. I will give you liberally the strength which you lack. You will be more powerful than ever before. Who knows? Perhaps, I can cure you."
Thunder again.
"You really think you can?" Precious asked.
"Yes. Think about it, Muse. Where else can you go?"
"Nowhere. You're right."
"So, will you join me?"
More thunder, and this time it was very close and very loud. Precious let out a small scream. She clamped her hands on her ears, shut her eyes, and hyperventilated. Then, she felt a hand stroke her hair. She opened her eyes and realized that Slade was hugging her. "It's alright. I am here. I will protect you," he whispered.
Once she finally calmed down, she said in a sigh, "OK. I'll do it."
"You will belong to me?"
"Yeah."
"Do you swear to serve me and me alone from this day forward?"
"I can still serve my God, can't I?"
"That was not part of the question."
"I can't answer that."
"Then, will you do I command?"
"I'll try."
"Will you fight by my side forever?"
"Look, the only thing I will promise is that I'll fight and I'll give it my all. And there's something else. I think it will be best for both of us if we make this a trial. Three days. If you do everything you can and I still don't meet your expectations, you let me go. And we'll never deal with each other again."
Slade's eye widened in surprise. "Never?"
"Never. If you want to wreak havoc, take it up with the Titans. It's their fight, not mine."
Slade was silent, and then he answered, "Agreed." He held his hand out, and they shook. Right on cue, thunder and lightning struck once again. "Now, let's go home, my dear."
He led her to his "home," and she was immediately creeped out. "A graveyard? This isn't where Starfire said you lived."
"My old hideout is in ruins. We must be discreet. We want to catch the Titans by surprise."
"I guess that's true. Wow, I don't think I've ever been in a graveyard before. Everybody says they're really scary, but I don't see anything too weird about it. Hey, that guy lived a hundred years ago. That's neat. If he was still alive today, he'd be over a hundred years old. I guess you don't believe in ghosts, do you? Uh, Slade? That was a question, directed to you."
"You do not have to worry about ghosts," he said rather impatiently. "I scare them all away."
"Oh, fair enough."
He led her down to the middle of the graveyard. A large cross stood there with a name Precious couldn't read. At the base of this cross was a door to a crypt. Slade pushed a button, and the door opened. "After you."
"No, you lead me, please."
"Very well."
Slade climbed down the stairs, and Precious followed after him. The stairs went down much further than six feet under, that was certain. Precious felt a little nervous, so she started singing a song on her mind.
"Why are you singing?"
"'Cause I like to sing," she answered.
"There is a time for music, and this is not it. You and I will dance and sing as we watch the world burn."
"Um, ok. I'm sorry."
They finally reached the bottom of the stairs. It certainly didn't look like underground there. There were large machines and monitors and a lot of stuff that looked interesting, just nothing that looked comfortable, or fun.
"Make yourself at home," Slade said quietly. "I have to take care of something."
"OK." How in the world was she going to "make herself at home" here? It was so cold, in more ways than one. She looked and looked for something she could do to relax, but there was nothing. The large TVs only showed parts of the city, and they would not change the channel. "How does he stand it?" she thought. "How did his former apprentices stand it? I'm starting to think that it's not going to be long before I die of boredom."
Slade came back in about half an hour with a pizza box. "I believe you need to eat around this time."
"You stole a pizza?"
"I do not steal everything, just what I need for world domination. There are some things that are worth getting honestly."
"Well, alright." She opened the box. "Pepperoni, my favorite. How'd you know?"
"It was on sale."
"Oh. You want some?"
"I'll pass."
"You sure? Do you eat?"
"I do, but I am not fond of pizza. I have more of a taste for liver."
"Oh. Well, ok then. I don't like liver much, so I guess we're even."
"So we are. Let us talk no longer. Eat, and renew your strength. We have much to do tomorrow."
"OK." She ate as much pizza as she could, then felt abnormally tired. She fell asleep on the floor.
Slade picked her up, put her in a bed, and wrapped her in a blanket. "Goodnight."
But it was not a good night. Precious had another nightmare. Once again, she felt like she was awake when she had the dream. She dreamed that she woke to the smell of something burning. She pulled herself off of the floor. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Then she heard Robin's voice echoing off the walls. "No matter what, don't become Slade's apprentice . . . he'd be more likely to beat you up and toss you out . . . I don't think you'd be able to survive . . ."
Then, before her eyes, everything caught on fire. Precious ran to escape, but Omnaura appeared out of nowhere and did her trick to make Precious fall. A girl made out of dirt and rock came out of the ground and held Precious down.
"Let me go!" Precious screamed.
"You can't go!" Omnaura said.
"You made a promise!" the dirt girl (who must have been Terra) added.
"I warned you, Muse," Robin's disembodied voice said.
Then Slade appeared. "Slade! Help me!" Precious yelled.
"I am helping you. This is your training," he answered.
"What do you want me to do?"
Slade whispered, "Wait in the fire." His command was repeated over and over again by the girls, by Robin, even by the flames. It kept growing louder and louder as the fire devoured the walls and closed in on Precious.
"No! This won't make me stronger. This will only kill me! Don't let me die!" She fought the ghostly women off of her and reached for Slade. He looked down at her. She grabbed his mask. It fell off.
And she saw the most hideous face ever.
She woke screaming in terror. Then she looked around and saw that the room was not on fire. "Another nightmare," she sighed. But her mind was still riddled with the fear. She went into the main room and watched the TV with the city. She felt at peace.
When she awoke again, she found a good breakfast waiting for her as well as a metallic outfit. "I guess Slade thinks that I'm going to work for him, I have to look like him," she thought aloud. "Oh well. I hope it's comfortable. I wish it had more color." She put it on. It fit rather well, even allowing space for her wings, but it wasn't comfortable. She felt stiff.
She ate her breakfast. She looked around, but she couldn't find a toothbrush or a hairbrush. She ran her fingers through her hair and rinsed her mouth out with water. Then there was nothing to do. Slade wasn't anywhere to be seen. Precious leaned back on a counter. She found a gadget on the floor and played a little with it. She pressed its buttons and listened to its metallic sounds. She threw it against the wall and was surprised to see it bounce back at her with a "ping!" She hit it on the wall repeatedly and absentmindedly began to sing again.
"What did I tell you about singing?" Slade's voice echoed as he came into the room.
"I'm sorry, Slade. I thought you weren't around."
"Even when I'm not here, I am still your master, and you are still my apprentice." He took the device from her. "Be careful with this. If you push the wrong buttons, you may forget everything."
"But Slade, I'm bored. I might have reconsidered this deal if I knew that you had no TV, no books, no games, no computers, no music, no toys, no radio, no DVD player, no method of entertainment whatsoever! How do you stand it? I would go crazy! Don't you do anything for fun?"
"You want stimulation?" Slade answered. "Very well. I think you're ready for your first lesson. Now, on your feet."
Precious got to her feet slowly. "OK, what do you want me to–OW!" Slade punched her in the face.
"Block it!" he ordered.
"How?" she asked, but he punched her again. She tried to dodge him, but he was so quick. "Stop it! Please stop it!"
"Begging won't get you far," he replied as he struck at her again.
"But what am I supposed to do?"
"You promised me your best. Use your powers!"
"Of course! Magic!" she ordered. She froze his fist in place. Then she backed away.
"What are you waiting for? Attack me! Give it all you got!"
"Will you not hurt me?"
"I can't promise that. Just go!"
So she hit back. It looked like it was working at first. Then Slade grabbed one of her wings and flipped her on her back. "See? You never know what the enemy is going to do."
"You're not the enemy."
"I'm playing the role of the enemy. Now, get up and try again."
"Can't you be easier on me? I'm supposed to be learning how to be stronger!"
"Your foe will not be easy on you. The only way for you to learn is if you feel the full force."
"This is your plan?"
"No. I want you to see your weakness."
"I don't have to see my weakness! I know it's there!"
He struck her again. He got out his cane. She kept trying to dodge it unsuccessfully and eventually fell down. "Time out . . . No more . . . I'm too tired," she said in between gasps.
"Good. You're ready. On your feet. Now, concentrate. Tell yourself you want to do better. You want to be stronger and faster."
"This is silly."
"DO IT!"
"OK, I'll do it!" She took a breath and thought about it. Suddenly, Slade flung his cane again, and she jumped at the right time. She pushed him back and nearly knocked him over. He struck at her again, and she dodged again. She hit back without missing. Over and over, he hit, she dodged, she hit back. Finally, she did a backward flip when he tried to get her again. She stopped.
"That's my girl."
"That was weird. What is going on? That didn't feel like me."
"It wasn't you, not entirely. That suit you're wearing is more than a fashion statement. It gives me control over your nervous system. As you said, your cerebellum is weak. I am able to redirect the electrical impulses in your brain so that it could do more, but it needs adequate stimulation first."
"But I can still use my power, right?"
"Of course. It was a mistake for me to attempt to take away your imagination before. Look at you. See what working with me has got you? You are better than ever before. You have the power to do whatever you want!"
"You're right. I am better. I really am! Thank you, Slade, thank you!" She reached out to hug him, but he stopped her.
"Don't thank me yet, apprentice. It is time to try your skills in the real world. I have just the job for you."
"Yeah, I'm ready! What do you want me to do?"
She flew carefree to Wayne Industries. There was some sort of device heavily guarded that Slade wanted her to retrieve. She asked herself on the way, why was she so afraid? Why did she have nightmares? Why was Robin so worried? Working with Slade has been the best thing that had ever happened to her! She felt wonderful, and yet she felt empty. "Well, I'll get over that in time. He did," she thought.
She successfully pounded the guards at the door, using her new physical powers and her imaginative powers. Then she went inside and saw the device that she was require to retrieve held suspended in a laser. All of her euphoria spilled out of her. She stood as still as a pole and started whispering under her breath.
"Why are you hesitating?" Slade demanded in her earpiece.
"Shh!" she hissed. "I'm praying for forgiveness."
"What good will that do you? You're too far gone."
"No! Never!"
"Don't fool yourself. Now, go!"
She took a few steps closer. "Maybe if I just count to ten. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . ."
"Fivesixseveneightnineten!" Slade finished for her very quickly. "Go!"
"Slade, I'm scared! This is wrong! I could get in trouble!"
"You'll get into more trouble if you don't do what I say!"
"I don't know, the trouble I could get into is pretty serious."
"Never mind that! Get me that device!"
"NO! I CAN'T DO IT! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME! IT'S WRONG! IT'S AGAINST THE RULES! PLEASE!" She started to rock back and forth and hyperventilate. "I can't do it!"
"You can! You will!"
Suddenly, she felt intense pain all through her body. She was being shocked! She recognized the jolting feeling after working with Static for so long. It never felt this strong. Then it stopped.
"How did that feel?" Slade said.
"It hurt."
"That is what you will feel if you hesitate for one second longer. Now, get me that device!"
"Oh, what have I done?" Precious thought. "I am so stupid! Why didn't I listen to Robin? Why did I join Slade? But what Slade told me is true. Robin has turned his back on me. Everybody has. Slade is the only one who cares."
"Just remember," she said out loud, "'I took this job 'cause I needed one.' I'm here because you took me in when no one else would. That doesn't mean I agree with you!"
"I don't care about your motives, and soon neither will you. Now, do what I sent you to do."
She reached for the device. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Do I have to do this for the rest of my life?" she thought.
"Freeze!" Robin's voice said behind her.
"See where your hesitation has gotten you?" Slade hissed in her ear.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of them." She turned around and faced the Titans.
"Muse?" Raven asked.
"Oh no!" Starfire shrieked. "Say it is not true!"
"Starfire, I–" the Muse began to say.
"NO!" Slade demanded. "They are dead to you now. Don't respond to them."
"Dead? It's that strong?"
"They are the ones who turned on you."
"But Starfire and Raven--"
"Are fooling you. Don't give in."
"It's you!" Robin said coldly. "I knew there was a reason I shouldn't trust you. You work for Slade!"
Just then, the Muse got a plan. "That's right," she responded sounding as evil as she could. "I do work for Slade. He took me in when you cast me out."
"Why would we cast you out?" Starfire asked. "You are our friend!"
"I was your friend, until you betrayed me! Slade has made stronger than ever. I'm the best superhe–uh, I mean villain ever! I dare you to defeat me!"
"What are you doing?" Slade asked.
"It's called provocation. It draws attacks to myself, and it's very effective."
"Impressive. I'm seeing a side of you that I did not know existed."
"Thanks. I learned it from Galaxy Sea."
"You're on!" Robin responded. He came at her, and she dodged his attacks.
"Is that all you got?" she sneered. She hit back and nearly knocked Robin out.
"Titans, go!" Robin commanded.
Cyborg and Starfire shot beams of energy at her, and she successfully dodged each of them. "Come on! I know you can do way better than this!"
"Drop the act!" Rave demanded. She hovered in front of the Muse, her eyes glowing with righteous fury. "This isn't you, Muse. You're not cut out for Slade, and you know it."
"I am too!" she said aloud, but then she thought, "Raven, do you really want to get me out of this?"
"Are no–" but then she understood the thought. "Yes, I do," she responded mentally.
"Then you have to defeat me. I made a deal with Slade that if he wasn't pleased with me he can turn me loose."
"Do you expect him to follow through?"
"He said he would. He keeps his word. I've seen it!"
"Why do you trust pure evil?"
"Just defeat me, please!"
"As you wish." Raven chanted aloud, "Azerath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Her dark power flowed out of her hands. The Muse flipped several times and dodged the attack. Then she used her powers to freeze Raven. "You're not making this easy," Raven thought back.
"That was my part of the deal. I promised to do my best, so I can't go easy on you."
Just then, Beast Boy, who had transformed into a T-Rex, roared in her face. The sound terrified her, but she got another idea thanks to an old bedtime story. "That's pretty good Beast Boy. You can transform into an extinct beast, but I bet you can't turn into a ladybug."
He changed back into his original form. "Oh yeah! I'll show you!" He transformed again.
"Magic!" She made an unbreakable soap bubble around him.
"Hey!" Beast Boy tried to transform again, but he was restricted by the bubble.
"Very cunning, apprentice," Slade said.
"Thanks. My . . . mommy told me that one," she said dejectedly.
"So, will you squash him?"
"No, I want to play with him more!"
"Remember what they did to you."
"I remember, but I want to . . . prolong their suffering," she said quickly.
"Good girl. Now, get the device and come home."
"After I defeat them." She looked up and realized that the Titans were ganging up on her. She leapt and flipped a few times, but she didn't look where she was going. She was backing into a stairwell, and she tripped over the first step. "Oh! Oh no! AGGGGGGH!"
She fell down all of the stairs. She pulled herself up and tried to get over the shock. She ached all over all over, but her foot hurt the most. "MUSE! What have you done?" Slade yelled into her earpiece.
"Oh," she groaned. "Well, he's displeased now," she thought. "Mission accomplished."
The Titans came up to her. "Time out, guys," she said. "I think I broke my foot."
"Let me take a look," Cyborg said. "I used to be an athlete. I know these injuries well. Now, take off your shoe." The Muse nodded and took her tennis shoe off. Cyborg slid his hand around her ankle. The light in his eye blinked. "Can you move it in a circle? Tell me when it hurts."
The Muse nodded. She rotated her foot and squealed with pain.
"It's not broken. You just sprained your ankle. You need to keep it elevated and on ice for twenty-four hours. You also need to wrap it and keep off your foot for the next couple of weeks."
"OK."
"Let me heal it," Raven offered.
"No!" Robin yelled. "Consider this a lesson for the company you keep. But don't worry about your foot. I'm sure that will be taken care of once you get to prison."
"Don't send me to jail, please!" the Muse begged. "I didn't steal anything! The only thing I did wrong was fight you guys."
"She's telling the truth," Raven said.
"She works for Slade!" Robin answered. "That's evil enough!"
"You worked for Slade!" the Muse yelled back. "Have you ever incarcerated yourself?"
Robin screamed and flung himself toward her.
"Robin, can we have a word?" Raven said gravely.
"Fine," Robin groaned.
"May I speak with you well?" Starfire asked.
"Alright. Titans, huddle." Robin, Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg withdrew. "Beast Boy, keep an eye on her."
"Will do," Beast Boy replied from his bubble.
The Muse couldn't hear everything they said, but she caught bits of it. "Don't be so hard on her," Raven said. "She's conflicted in her mind. Somehow, she trusts Slade, but she doesn't want to do what he does. She's still a good kid."
"What do you mean, 'still?'" Robin yelled. "I saw her for the first time yesterday."
"Yeah, this is the first I've seen her, too," Cyborg added.
"She somehow stole a communicator and made up a silly story that I gave it to her for her birthday."
"But you did!" Starfire answered. "Perhaps you do not remember her because you did not accompany Raven and me to Themyscira."
"Starfire, I think you're giddy from these past couple of sleepless nights."
"I told you, Tamarians do not have the same sleep cycles. The head pangs were too great for me to sleep, but that does not mean I cannot function well without a couple of nights of slumber."
"Doesn't anybody remember Terra? I'm not going to make the same mistake twice!"
"She's not Terra!" Raven yelled. "If she were Terra, she wouldn't beg me to defeat her so that she could get away from Slade!"
"Agreed!" Starfire cried. "She is not the traitor Terra was. She is the Muse! She is our friend!"
The Muse was astonished. "They didn't all betray me! Starfire and Raven are standing up for me like true friends. But Robin is still cold. He thinks I am Terra. I cannot join the Titans because Robin may never trust me again. I don't deserve his trust. So where should I go now? Maybe they'll need me at the ARC. Wait, Bruce Wayne! It would take something really serious to make him betray me! I bet he'll take me, and then I'll live in a mansion. That would be so cool!"
But then, a shadow fell over her. The Muse gasped. "What are you doing?"
"What do you think? I have come to take you home," Slade answered.
"But, wait! I'm no good to you now."
But he didn't answer. He picked her up and carried her out of the building in his arms. The Titans spotted him too late. "Slade!" Robin yelled.
"Another day, Robin," Slade responded. He walked on without looking back.
The Muse kept squirming trying to get out. Slade tightened his grip just slightly. She gave one last look at Raven and mouthed, "Help me."
But Raven understood something else. She told Starfire alone, "I saw a mental image. Slade is hiding her in the cemetery."
"Then we must rescue her!" Starfire said decidedly.
Slade was stone silent. He just kept walking slowly, and the Muse had no choice but to watch helplessly everything and everyone she passed. At one moment, she thought she saw a glint of gold, but it was gone in a flash.
Precious watched depressed as she saw the doors of the crypt close before her. Slade carried her down to the hideout and put her down on the bed. Then, he turned away.
"Slade," she asked, "why did you take me back? This isn't going to heal in three days. I'm useless to you."
"I am well aware of that," he replied.
"I'm sorry. I know I let you down, but I know I held up my side of the bargain. I did my best. I'm just such a klutz. Even your technology can't solve that. I try to be careful, and sometimes I just mess up. I hate that part of me."
"I understand," he answered.
"Slade, there's still something I don't get. Why did you choose me? If you know me as well as you say that you do, you would know this. You would know that I don't like exiting my comfort zone. I follow rules to a T. Your cool little mind trick works, but it only goes so far. It doesn't cure me. And before you knew, why did you go after me in Themyscira, even though I wasn't one of the Titans? What is it about me that you find so intriguing? And I gotta ask, what are you? Are you a man, or are you a monster? What do you want to do with me in the end?"
Slade turned to her. "I will tell you what you need to know, but it is probably nothing that you do not know already." He walked to her bedside, stroked her head, and knelt down to her ear. Then, his hand that had once gently caressed her scalp grabbed her hair by its roots. His answer began as a whisper, but it gradually grew louder until he was screaming in her ear:
"You . . . ask . . . too . . . many . . . QUESTIONS!"
He violently let go. "But, you said you'd answer any question! That was your promise!"
"You broke your promise first!"
"What do you mean? I told you, I did my best!"
"I had control of your nervous system. Did it never occur to you that I would have access to your thoughts? I heard your entire telepathic conversation to Raven. You tried to sabotage the mission!"
"Oh, why didn't I think of that? Well, I guess you realize now that I don't want to be a part of this anymore."
"So, now you're betraying me?"
"No! No! Slade, I still trust you, but I can't do this anymore! I'm not the apprentice that you want!"
"I know. I see that now. I'm sorry, Muse. I know we agreed on three days, but you have already too greatly displeased me."
"So, you'll let me go?"
"Not as such."
"What do you mean? That's what you promised."
"Yes, but I also promised that I would not bother you any longer. I'm afraid there is only one way to keep from tempting me from pursuing you in the future."
He held up something that looked like a pen with a small lightning bolt emitting from its tip. The Muse understood.
"You wouldn't!"
"Oh, I would. I have been planning it since I made that deal with you. I did get concerned the more I got to know you that I would not be able to do it."
Precious breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he actually did care.
"That injury is a blessing in disguise, my dear Muse. It makes it much more difficult for you to get away!"
Precious gasped and fell off the bed as Slade came in closer. She dragged herself backward with her hands. "But you said you care about me! You said you cared about me like you I was daughter!"
"Even your reasoning is slow, Muse. You misunderstood. I said I would care FOR you, not care ABOUT you!" He sounded much angrier than he ever had before.
The Muse nearly missed being electrocuted. "Slade! Please! You did so much for me, and . . . Slade, you're like the father I never had! I love you!" It was a somewhat genuine sentiment, but it was more of a desperate attempt to save her life.
Slade's visible eye squinted. "You made a serious mistake, Muse." It sounded muffled, as though he spoke through gritted teeth. "You want secrets? I'll tell you the greatest secret of all. I HATE LOVE! I cannot stand it in any form! That's why I hate the Titans, defeating evil with friendship! That's why I never laugh, for laughter is a sound of joy, and joy is a byproduct of love. And that's the reason why I threw Omnaura out!"
"Omnaura? You said she betrayed you!"
"And she did! I did everything to get her partnership. I broke her out of house arrest. I concocted the perfect plan to destroy you at her request. And she threw everything away when she tried to pry off my mask and give me a kiss! SHE THOUGHT I WAS IN LOVE!"
Once again he struck at her, and once again he nearly missed. "So what happened to her?"
"Have you ever read the name of the crypt we go down in to get here? It says, 'Dr. Karen Roberts!'"
"Who?"
"Did you ever realize that Omnaura had another name?"
"No! You didn't!"
"Relax. She got away, but I have her life's work."
"Her neural helmet?"
"Yes. She gave it to me in exchange for her life. And now part of her is gone forever. This monument stands in memory of the woman she once was. You're not so lucky, I am afraid, my dear. I already made up my mind about what I want to do with you!"
"But why are you like this? Why?"
"DON'T ASK!"
"But don't you know me? I try to reason with villains. I even made a few friends of the people fight."
"And I tried to put some sense into you!"
"You?" Suddenly, things began to flash before her eyes, beginning with the flash, the headache, the dream. Snatches of her memory played back:
"There's an attack at Alva industries."
"Lex Luthor may be a crook, but his company does mean a lot of jobs for our town."
"It looks like Slade is attacking down here. He's stopping us from what we were just going to do."
"We just took on these metalheads, and Gear and I both have bad migraines, and it's hard to think."
"These headaches must be infectious. I just got one too."
"No. Let go! Let go! Let go!"
"No, hon. I don't have a child."
"This is kinda a secret hideout, and you're not supposed to be in on the secret."
"I said no room!"
"This is betrayal, Muse."
"I told you, Tamarians do not have the same sleep cycles. The head pangs were too great for me to sleep."
"You can't go!"
"You made a promise!"
"I warned you, Muse."
"Wait in the fire. Wait in the fire! WAIT IN THE FIRE!"
"YOU DID THIS!" the Muse screamed. "My friends never betrayed me, you turned them against me! I understand everything now. You sent me and my friends on futile missions, just so we could experience that flash. It was all part of your mind games! It put a suggestion into my brain. That's why I had such a headache. You must have traced me, Static, and Gear so you somehow found out families and did the same. And that suggestion was activated in my dreams! You painted yourself as trustworthy and prepared me for what you were about to do to my friends and loved ones. You erased my memory from their minds! Even worse, you made me look like a vagabond and a criminal! You brainwashed us all! That's why Raven and Starfire didn't fall for it. Starfire couldn't sleep, and I bet Raven meditated to get rid of her headache, thus she got rid of your suggestion."
"You're smarter than I thought, Muse. You figured everything out. I applaud your ingenuity."
"But why did you go through all that trouble? You even turned Mommy against me! My own mother, Slade! You are a monster! Part of me knew all along! My subconscious was never fooled. It even made your perfect dream into a nightmare, and it kept the nightmares coming."
"Then why didn't you leave when you had the chance?"
"I never had the chance!"
"Yes you did. I left you alone so many times because I was testing your loyalty. I was seeing if you would try to escape, and you stayed put. Don't try to make me look like the bad guy, Muse. The only one you have to blame is yourself!"
"I'm not listening to you anymore! You never tell the truth!"
"You don't have to listen to me any longer. It will all be over soon."
Slade pushed a button on his arm. The Muse felt another shock and stopped scooting. She couldn't move. "The suit!"
"Yes. You can't get away. Goodbye, Muse."
Just then, she heard a sound from above. She spotted a gold cape in the ceiling. Then it fell, luckily on the bed. The person who owned the cape looked straight at Slade. The Muse felt like a weight had lifted from her heart. "RAGNAROK!" the Muse screamed for joy.
The hero scrambled over to her and stood between her in Slade. "You didn't brainwash everybody!" the Muse said triumphantly. "My secret weapon stayed true to me!"
"You call this a hero?" Slade said contemptuously.
"Oh no. Don't tell me he works for you."
"Why would I want someone like this?" Slade hit the hero with his fists and with his cane. Ragnarok never fought back. Instead of blocking Slade's attacks, he held his hands in front of his face and looked away waiting for the worst. Slade knocked Ragnarok back so that he was in front of the Muse, helpless. "He's just as weak and slow as you," Slade sneered. "He has no power."
"Yes he does! He wouldn't be a hero otherwise!" She whispered to the hero, "You can do it, Ragnarok. I believe in you." Then she did something that she had never done before. Her Magic Hat glowed brilliantly, and Ragnarok reflected its splendor. She gave him her powers.
Ragnarok stood and looked up at Slade. He pointed at the villain, and fire issued from his finger tip. It quickly engulfed everything in the hideout. Slade looked all around in fear. He groaned. He reached for something on a table. The Muse recognized it. It was the same gadget she played with, and it was also the same thing that made the flash that started the whole thing. "Look out!" she screamed.
But Slade was not aiming the device at Ragnarok or the Muse. He was pointing it toward himself.
Ragnarok stepped in front of her and offered his hand. "No," she answered. "I can't get up. My foot's hurt. Can you carry me somehow?" Ragnarok tried. He couldn't lift her as easily as Slade did, but he was able to get her up and least keep her bad foot off the ground. "Wait!" She pointed to Slade. "Magic," she whispered. He was surrounded by a bubble and floated with them out the exit. As soon as they got out, she let it pop.
"Muse!" a voice said. Starfire and Raven were waiting for her outside.
"How did you guys know?" the Muse asked.
"I picked up on your mental clues, and I told her," Raven answered.
"We would have come in ourselves, but this young lad reached you first," Starfire said. "He saw Slade carrying you, and he followed you all the way here."
"He really wanted to help you, even when we explained the dangers he would undoubtably face. You have a devoted friend there."
"He, he actually talked to you?" the Muse asked.
"We had a mental conversation. Now, let me take a look at that foot." Raven reached down, and her hand glowed a dim blue. After a few seconds, the swelling went down, and all the pain disappeared.
"It's as good as new. Thank you, Raven. You're a real friend. Not like . . ." She looked over at Slade. The Titans walked toward him. "Just a moment," the Muse said. She walked over to him.
Slade's eye looked wearily at her. He said weakly, "Five minutes ago, you called me a monster. And yet, you saved my life? You are a foolish apprentice."
"No, I just have a better Master who gave me better advice, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head.' I would not have you wait in the fire, Slade. That's what you would have done to me. Now, I think I need that thing in your hand so I can fix everything you broke."
"Wait," he answered. He held the device at arms length and flashed it. He groaned loudly. The device dropped to the Muse's feet. Slade's eye began to close, but before it disappeared completely, he whispered three words:
"You win again."
Raven and Starfire joined her. "I don't believe it," Raven remarked.
"You have defeated him!" Starfire said amazed.
"We never could, and you did it all by yourself."
"Well then, shall we see who is behind this mask?"
"No!" the Muse said as she stopped Starfire's hand. Then, she let go. "I mean, you guys can go ahead if you have too. I don't want to know anymore."
The Muse turned away. Starfire looked at her, confused. "Robin really deserves to do the unmasking anyway," Raven said to her.
"Truth," Starfire. "I suppose that for now, we must contact the others."
Precious walked over to Ragnarok, who was standing all by himself. "Thank you so much for everything, Ragnarok. You don't mind if I call you that, do you? I mean, do you have a better name picked out or anything?"
The hero looked at her and replied in a very soft voice, "Is good."
"Oh, you do talk!"
"Little," he said with a nod.
"Why didn't you talk before?"
"Did Muse read note?"
"I tried. I couldn't read it though. What were you trying to saying?"
He stammered, "W-w-want to be Muse . . . Muse . . ." He started kicking to the side.
"You want to be my sidekick?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Muse in trouble, Ragnarok help."
"Sure, I'd be happy to have you on my team, but not as my sidekick, but as my superhero partner."
"No! Not good enough yet!"
"Yeah, you are. But we got to get you some real powers. Don't worry, I know people who can help with that. What powers do you want? You like fire power?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I used to fight a guy named Hotstreak. He had fire powers too. You want it to be like that?"
"No, not like Hotstreak! Ragnarok wants special fire! Righteous fire!"
"Righteous fire? That's going to be tough, but we'll see what we can do. So, when did you become a hero in the first place?"
"When the Muse started to work alone. The Muse was in trouble a lot. The Muse needed help. Ragnarok helped the Muse before, remember?"
"Wait a minute! Yeah, I know who you are! You're Eli, from the ARC, right?"
Ragnarok took off his helmet and his mask to reveal the boy with blond hair and deep blue eyes.
"I'm glad to see you again, Eli. I missed you. But how do you keep getting from Gotham to Metropolis so quickly?"
"Batman helped."
"Oh, that's awesome! I guess if Batman thinks you were superhero material, then you really are."
"Thank you. Eli needs to go home."
"OK. I'll see you later!" Ragnarok took his disguise back on and ran away.
All vital signs indicated that Slade was asleep, but he would not wake up. He was taken on a stretcher to Archam. The Muse went back with Starfire and Raven to Titan Tower. Raven worked with the Muse to re-modify all of the Titans' memories. Some of the Titans were still not thrilled to see her at first. Beast Boy was irritated after being cooped up in a little bubble for so long. The Muse freed him first thing, but he was still surly. "I got cramps everywhere!" he yelled.
"I'm really sorry, Beast Boy. What can I do to make it up to you?"
"Well, I guess there is one thing." Beast Boy turned into a rabbit. The Muse knelt down and petted his head for hours. "That felt so good," Beast Boy told her once he changed back
And Robin, even after he was reconciled for his untrustworthy behavior, was not very happy with the Muse. "I told you not to become Slade's apprentice! Why didn't you take my advice? Whatever happened to you was your own fault, and I hope you know it!" He stormed off. The Muse was sad.
"Do not let that ruin your evening, Muse," Starfire said gently. "Robin will feel sorry for this later. Why don't you dress into something less metal? Surely this outfit restricts you."
"Yeah. Wait! Oh, man!"
"What man? Where?"
"Nothing, I just realized I left my real costume in the fire. It's probably destroyed now."
"Never fear! You can wear one of my dresses from Tamaran! Surely I have something that will fit you."
Starfire found a dress that would look ridiculous on Earth. The Muse, who had absolutely no fashion sense, loved it. "I like the colors!"
"And it looks wondrous on you! You would surely attract any flooberwump who came your way."
"Well . . . thanks. I really needed a new outfit. The old one was getting pretty tight."
The Titans had a huge party that evening, and everybody elected to make the Muse the guest of honor. They had all sorts of food, regular and tofu. Cyborg played video game after video game with the Muse and let her win quite a few times. Beast Boy told jokes. The Muse put on lots of music and had a karaoke contest. Starfire recited Tamaranian poetry. Raven stayed out of the way.
After everybody was worn out, they called it a night. "It's late," Raven said to the Muse. "You wanna crash here for tonight? We'll work on restoring the memories of everybody in Dakota and Metropolis tomorrow."
"OK." They stopped in front of one room. Raven opened the door. "Is this . . . ?"
"Yeah, it's Terra's room."
"Well, I guess this is appropriate, to sleep where the traitor used to live."
"Don't think of it that way! We forgave Terra in the end, and we've forgiven you."
"Yeah, but still."
"This is the only room we got, and it's yours. If you still have a problem with it, come up to my room and we'll talk, alright?"
"OK. Goodnight." As soon as Raven closed the door and she was away, the Muse fell onto her new bed and cried. Then she heard a knock. "Come in," she said.
Robin walked in. "You ok?"
"Not really."
"Look, I'm not going to back off of what I said. You were foolish not to heed my advice. But what's done is done. Lesson learned. You're not going to get anywhere feeling sorry for yourself. So quit crying and beating yourself up for it. Alright, I guess I do owe you an apology for the way I treated you earlier today."
"I don't blame you."
"And really, we are all proud of you for beating Slade in the end. Nobody's really done that before. Maybe I had underestimated you a bit."
"Thank you, Robin, but I'm not really crying for myself. I'm crying for Slade."
"Why? He's not worth your tears."
"He told me how much he despised love. He must really be sad to get to that state."
"Well, you can feel sympathetic if you want. I'm never going to give Slade any pity. But I guess he can never say that you and he are alike." Robin began to walk out, but first he turned and shared a parting thought. "In fact, I think you're stronger than Slade ever could be."
Not too long after, Precious heard some very serious news regarding Slade. She went through several channels and red tape, but she was able to play her final card.
A guard lead her down the hall called Death Row to the final chamber. She saw a man laying on his side, his back turned from her.
"That is Slade?" she asked. "So, he is a man."
"Unfortunately, doll, most people would beg to differ with ya," the guard answered. He started to pound on the door of the cell, but Precious stopped him.
"No, don't disturb him. I don't want him to know I was here. Just give him this." She handed him a disposable casserole dish covered in foil with a card taped to it.
"Fine," the guard said and slid the dish into the cell. Then Precious turned away and walked out without looking back.
Slade got up just after they left. He picked up the package and unwrapped it. Inside was liver smothered in gravy. He opened the card. It simply read:
"I thought you might be lonely and hungry. You are not forgotten, The Muse."
In a voice that was not as cold and proud as it used to be, he asked out loud:
"Who?"
Next Episode: The Belated Birthday Present–After Raven's mysterious birthday, Raven decides to seek the Muse's help.
