'Battle Simulation Over. Mission...Failed.'
"Ahem."
The female standing in front of the screen and beside the imposing man shifted uncomfortably.
"My apologies, Mr Slade. This demonstration of our new plan to take down the Teen Titans didn't exactly go as, er, planned."
Slade glanced at Mammoth, Gizmo and Jinx. They were hooked up to a simulator machine. The simulation had ended-they would start reviving soon. One side of his mask was shadowed, giving him an alarmingly sinister look.
The H.I.V.E. headmistress kept talking; trying to salvage the situation. "Perhaps there was a slight glitch in the programming and the Titans' simulated power levels were set a little too high so-"
"No."
The single word spoken by Slade resonated through the room.
"It was no programming glitch, Headmistress." Mammoth, Gizmo and Jinx looked at Slade, terrified of the consequences of their failure.
"On the contrary, Gizmo's programs are all quite well-designed, and his virtual Teen Titans were very believable. It was like watching the real thing: they talked like the real Titans. They walked like the real Titans. They fought like the real Titans."
Mammoth, Gizmo and Jinx listened to Slade's words uncertainly, with sullen expressions on their faces.
"They protected each other like the real Titans always do. They worked as a team like the real Titans always do. And...they defeated you like the real Titans always do!" Slade snarled.
"Enough with the games. It's time to get a little more...realistic. Try a little more cooperation and less competition amongst yourselves. That was your glitch."