Chapter Six

Diana sensed a change in Slade during her four-week recovery period. It was subtle. On paper, it would have seemed like nothing. She would never be able to adequately describe it to anyone else because of the nature of their relationship. Perhaps it was a figment of her imagination. Perhaps she'd never noticed it before because she'd had so few opportunities to be around him when they weren't working. But still, she thought there was something different about the way he treated her now. Slade had never shown her extreme disrespect and he'd never been as condescending to her as he was to Terra, but there was another dimension to his interaction with Diana now. He was kinder.

It was terrifying.

She'd been forced to sleep in the infirmary for the first night to make sure that there were going to be no further complications from her injuries. When Diana had awoken on the second morning, the person bringing in her breakfast tray hadn't been Wintergreen. It was Slade. Slade, who sat with her while she ate, who wanted to know how she was feeling. They didn't say much but it was a comfortable silence. When he suggested moving her into her bedroom he'd picked her up himself, carrying her in and gently arranging her on the sheets. After a few days Diana became convinced that he wanted something and was biding his time. He talked to her more—even if they didn't talk he was physically with her more, checking in at random intervals while she reclined among the pillows and read or surfed the internet.

On the fifth day of shuffling from the bathroom to her bed and back again, Diana began to develop cabin fever. When he sensed it, Slade suggested that the pair of them take short walks outside at dusk. That first night he had taken her out just when the sun was beginning to set, allowing her to lean against him for balance. They stood for a few moments on the top of a plateau in the cool desert air, watching orange fade to red and finally fade to black before Diana's ribs began to throb and Slade supported her as she walked back in. They made it a habit over the weeks and soon she thought nothing of leaning against him. Perhaps it was Stockholm Syndrome or perhaps she simply let her guard down, but eventually Diana grew less and less suspicious. He didn't want anything after all, it seemed. It was in her head. She blamed the queer little thump her heart made when she was around him to awkward nervousness. The way he touched her arm, the way he braided her hair for her, all the things he started telling her about himself…it became normal. She saw Terra less and less and Slade more and more.

Slade was sitting on her bed, braiding her hair, when he told Diana the news. She didn't react positively. It wasn't as if she would immediately reject any proposition of Slade's, even when it involved Terra, but Diana still had reservations. She frowned. He couldn't see her face, seated as he was behind her, but he paused for a moment with his fingers entwined in her golden hair.

"You really think that she has adequate control of her powers?"

"I do. Things have changed in your convalescence. I've built on the basics that you have taught Terra. The girl's learned quickly."

"There are just so many variables Slade," Diana sighed, "I believe you when you say that she's ready but I'm worried that she'll be caught and exposed."

"She won't be," Slade replied smoothly, "Besides…I've already set up a little test run. Remember that titanium-alloy worm Dr. Light built?"

"Yes," Diana responded, rolling her eyes at the memory of being introduced to it, "I remember it well."

The tricky part of augmenting Dr. Light's design of the worm had been in the computer system. Getting it to properly respond to internal damage by increasing its laser radius had been an enormous endeavor; even for the sum of money she'd been paid. The worm was too massive for Slade's smaller operations and had sat in storage for almost a year.

"I was going to let Terra try her luck with it," Slade continued, "To get the Titans to trust her."

She let out a noncommittal murmur. It was difficult to think when he was threading his hands through her hair like he was, and Diana was silent until he put the finishing touches on her braid. Diana didn't want to admit that her ribs were feeling much better, that it almost didn't hurt at all to raise her hands up to her head anymore.

"What are you thinking?" He queried calmly, gingerly extracting himself from behind her and moving to sit at the end of her bed.

One foot was flat on the floor but her previously-wounded leg was tucked up on the bed. Diana looked down at the healing injury and shrugged, biting her lip.

"I've asked for your opinion," Slade continued, his tone casual but firm.

He tilted her chin up and forced her eyes to meet his. Diana wanted to look away but felt obligated to keep looking at him, even as his gaze skirted downward and he surveyed her face. If they had been any closer they could have kissed. But it was Slade, after all. Of course they weren't going to.

"Well Diana?"

"I'm afraid that she'll blow cover and they'll kill her. I don't know if she can pull this off."

"You know the Titans aren't killers," he said, cupping her face in his hand, "And even if they had her transported to prison we could remove her. As for pulling it off, I've made her mentally prepare. You handle the logistics and let me see to the operational aspects…and the worrying."

"Alone?"

The word slipped out before she could stop it and she bit her lip. For a brief moment, silence reigned in the room. Slade looked taken aback for a moment and he dropped his hand before nodding and standing up and walking toward the door.

"Alone. Now get some rest. We have a spy to plant in the morning."

"Yes, Slade," Diana answered automatically, thinking nothing of obeying him again and turning over to go to sleep.

Author's Note: I hope people are still reading this! Reviews/criticisms/critiques are always appreciated!