Chapter Three: Are you lost or incomplete? Do you feel like a puzzle; you can't find your missing piece?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Notes: This is just me easing my way into the idea of this kinda pairing.
Terra walked around the armchair slowly, then at the plasma TV and DVD player set up in front of it on a small wooden stand. Her eyes took in the straps on the arms of the chair, and she said "All you want me to do is...watch TV?"
"Yes," Slade replied.
"...But you hate TV. Except for the news." She looked up at him, obviously wary of the situation.
"This is going to help you, I promise."
"If it's going to help, why do I have to be strapped in?"
"Just in case." He said it casually, but was avoiding her gaze now.
"In that case, I'm going to sit this little experiment out." She turned to walk out of the room, when Slade caught her shoulder.
"This isn't an experiment. What you are going to do is watch the clips, which will be sending you subliminol messages-"
"What-?"
"Its going to help you learn-"
"Why would I want to learn? Especially like this!"
"So that you can blend back in. I'm right in assuming you've never been to high school, or even middle school for that matter?"
She glared at her feet for a moment, but mumbled "No."
"And the private school I've picked out for you is currently wrapping up their mid-terms, and I want to bring you up to speed. This is the quickest and least painful way I could think of."
"Fine! Just...no more surgery."
She scowled at him, and he returned her glare. After a moment, she looked down and said "Sorry."
"I promise...that there won't be any more surgery."
"Thank you," she said quietly. She walked over to the chair and sat down as Slade began to strap her down. "Where are you going to be during this?"
"If you want, right in this room."
Terra nodded as he picked up a remote beside the TV, turned it on, and walked around next to it. He sat down on a small folding chair, and watched Terra watch the DVD.
It was short, irrelevent series of shots of Jump City, accompanied by a dull, british voice. Terra found herself zomnng out and just looking for landmarks she recognized. The only thing she noticed was Titan's Tower, which made her feel slightly guilty. She looked over to Slade quickly, who jerked his head at the screen, as if to say 'Pay attention!'
When the screen finally faded to black, Slade sighed and said, "You all right?"
"Yes," Terra answered warily.
"What street do you live on?" he asked.
"That's a stupid question," Terra thought, "I barely remember my name!" She opened her mouth to say this, but instead she said "Wolfram Road."
"House number?"
"203." Then, "Woah."
"Exactly. Who am I?"
"Slade Wilson. You were a friend of my parents, who died during certain supernatural events last summer." She pulled a face, and said "I really know all this now?"
He nodded, and said, "Scary?"
"A little," she admitted. Then she asked, "What 'supernatural events'?"
"That is the next DVD." Terra groaned and asked "How many are there?"
"After we cover the basics..about ten."
"Great.." she said sacrastically, and settled back in her chair.
-
Her screams woke him up later on that night. Slade's eye snapped open, and he automatically reached over by the lamp for his mask, forgetting that he had packed it away the night before. He got up anyway, grabbing a bathrobe, and ran for Terra's room, expecting and readying for a break in, or thugs of some sort...not Terra thrashing alone under her covers. He ran to the side of the bed as she began to shriek again.
"Terra?" he said, shaking her shoulders. "Its only a nightmare, its okay..."
Her eyes snapped open, and she stared up at him. "Oh my god..." she sat up slowly, and he knelt by her bed. "It was insane...horrible..." Her broken sentences and look in her face let Slade know that she was till half-asleep. "I thought that I was turning back to stone...flames everywhere," she said sleepily. Then her eyes widened in shock, and she said "You were dead! I...It was horrible!"
"Its okay now, it was only a dream." he said, starting to stand.
"Don't leave!" she said, grabbing his arm, and -before he could react- pulled him into her arms.
For a moment, he just knelt there and tried to think. She was terrified, of course, and she was just looking for comfort. That was it. Still, that didn't make the situation any less awkward. He could not recall being hugged by anyone for the simple reason of making sure he would stay.
But he stayed that way, holding her close, until her breathing slowed, and she fell asleep. After he laid her back onto her pillows, he looked down to her, thinking...
-
I know nothing on subliminal messaging. This is fiction, I'll do what I want!
I know nothing on subliminal messaging, and the idea I got for it was from Brave New World (Thank you, Brit/Lit class!)
Music: Talk by Coldplay