Chapter 2! I'm so excited about this story, I'm not gonna lie. I own nothing of this series, as much as I'd love to! I only own my dear little creation of Vendetta! Please review!
Vendetta swung through an open window into an old abandoned factory. Her client constantly moved meeting places, so she was not concerned with the location; she had scoped it out before entering and was satisfied that there were no guards defending it. It was one of her rules when dealing with clients; she didn't want to be threatened or surprised by anything, so she allowed only the client to meet with her -absolutely no guests.
A tall, obviously muscular figure stepped out from behind a giant piece of machinery that seemed to litter the entire warehouse. His face remained in shadow, so the girl thief could not see what his appearance looked like. She remained close to the window, the only one in the entire building, and her easiest escape. While Vendetta could fight, she would not take her chances against this man; danger seemed to roll off of him in waves and she didn't like to be in his presence any more than absolutely necessary.
"Do you have the bracelet?" His voice was calm and cool, as if there was nothing in the world that could faze him. Vendetta wordlessly held up her wrist. The gold chains clinked lightly together. The small emerald winked up at her in the dim lighting.
"Don't see what the use for this crummy little thing could be, but I'm not paid to care, so what's the point?" Vendetta said, shrugging one shoulder. She tossed the chain to the man, who caught it effortlessly.
The man turned away and began to recede into the shadows once more. Despite her better judgment, Vendetta followed. The darkness swallowed her up entirely, blending in with her all black clothing. The only thing that stood out among the gloom was the "V" emblazoned across her chest. It was large and green, and off-kilter; the ends of the letter stretched over both shoulders and came together in a point off to her hip. Another "v" glowed dimly, wrapped around her thigh.
She knew he knew that she followed, but he made no comment. He led her to the middle of the warehouse, and she saw that this had to be his hideout. Gears seemed to pop up everywhere and huge computer screens dominated the walls. The light gave off a dim, dusky orange glow. Vendetta tore her eyes away from the back of her employer to ogle the room. It was huge. She glanced around, fascinated by the cogs that churned endlessly. Her senses felt dulled slightly in this place; the dim lights andhazy air made it difficult to breathe, and her vision was not aided by the tint of her goggles.
The man tore the gem out of its lodging and placed it into a large… well Vendetta didn't know exactly what it was, but it didn't look particularly pleasant.
The machine was large, bulky. Strange lights blinked and the engine whirred with an ominous hum. Vendetta's client strode over what had to be a control panel. He tugged on a lever and the machine came to life.
A laser gun came out of an opening at the top of the giant contraption and aimed its muzzle at a larger pile of what appeared to be cinderblocks. The gun charged and a wide bright red beam shot out of it straight at the blocks. Vendetta had to shield her face behind her arm so that the light wouldn't blind her. She knew when the beam hit the pile of rubble; the collision caused a backlash of wind strong enough to throw her off her feet if she didn't brace against it in time. She didn't and went flying back, but rather than careening into a wall, she hit something just a smidge softer and a hell of a lot closer. She glanced up and saw through her tinted visor that Slade had moved to stand behind her and had caught her before she could fly away. She didn't like it that he had snuck up behind her so quietly and without her notice.
The man set her down and the two stood silently, watching the machine do its work. Before Vendetta's eyes the stone came to life. It assembled to form the shape of a man. A very large, blocky looking man. Narrow slitted eyes glowed red through the dust driven up during the process. The monster towered over the two humans. Vendetta was speechless. How could a pile of rock come to life? It wasn't possible, and yet here she was, looking at a very real, very live monster.
"Cinderblock," Slade's cool voice was distinct in the oppressive silence that settled in the warehouse. Slade sauntered up to the monster, his arms crossed over his chest, the picture of relaxation. Vendetta ventured up behind him, using the larger man's body to shield her from the towering pile of rock. "I brought you to life; you will serve me and carry out my plans." Slade instructed his creation. The thing glared down at him, yet dropped to one knee, lowering his head in subservience. Apparently satisfied with the answer, Slade walked back to the machine responsible for this… abomination. He pulled out the jewel that powered it, the jewel that Vendetta stole for him. He held it carefully, cradling it in his palm. Vendetta stood back away from the machine, having no desire to be anywhere near it. As she looked on, the tiny gem crumbled to dust under Slade's fingers. "Hm, I knew it was fragile, but I thought it would be of a bit more use," Slade commented. He tilted his hand, allowing the dust to fall to the ground. A translucent green cloud rose over his feet then disappeared.
Vendetta decided that now would probably be the best time to go. She slunk into the shadows, allowing the inky darkness to swallow her up completely. She faded away, not making a single sound until she reached the window and her shot at escape. She knew there was no way Slade could hear her. Although he was undeniably her best client, it would be best for her to cut off all contact. Even based on her other clients he was a madman. She had made a mistake working for him.
She had been backing up to reach the window in order to keep an eye on Slade when she made her escape, to make sure he didn't notice her departure. Now she turned to leap up to the window. Her eyes widened, pupils dilated and she just managed a small gasp of a mixture of fear and surprise. Slade had made to her in the time it took her to turn. He reached down, grabbing the front of her suit in his fist. He lifted her clean off her feet, bringing her shielded face up to his own masked features. "You've been a good boy so far, Vendetta, do not disappoint me now. I will contact you again and remember this: no matter where you go or who you turn to, I will always find you. You work for me, and I intend to keep it that way," he dropped her and she collapsed to the ground.
"We'll see about that," she muttered. She climbed out the window and disappeared into the night. Slade watched her leave in silence, then turned to Cinderblock.
"I have a job for you," he told the rock man, who simply turned to look at his master. It was the beginning of the tyranny of Slade in the Titans' lives, and the beginning of the end for Vendetta.