I'm trying to update this story as quickly as possible, I promise! Anyhows, thank you all for reading my stories and for following/favoriting/leaving reviews and all that jazz. I hope you enjoy this change of perspective because I am trying to follow the work that I am basing this on pretty closely plot-wise. (Don't forget the bonus points for the first person to guess what that story is!) So please R/R.~ Love, Sam.
Sprezzatura
Jealousy
"It must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain."
In the heart of Jump City sat a lone figure, who was lounging comfortably in the penthouse of one of the many apartments downtown. The lean figure leaned back in his plush chair, his tense muscles stretching out in an almost cat-like manner. He trained his eyes on the wide expanse of pure and unadulterated ignorance that lay before him, seeping out by the boatload from the commotion that was happening just stories beneath his home.
Slade Wilson's eyes narrowed from behind his mask, his facial expression going rigid as he stood up slowly. With long, calculated steps, he made his way over to the large window, standing just at the edge. The tips of his expensive leather shoes pressed lightly against the glass, and he could just make out the reflection of his slender, toned figure dressed in a dark suit and slacks if he looked hard enough. But he wasn't exactly there to admire himself.
In downtown Jump, the Teen Titans were busy fighting the Hive Five. For the five of them, it was easy enough. Raven managed to avoid all of See-More's advances with her usual grace, and then trap him with a bubble of dark energy. Mammoth slipped up and was taken out by one of Cyborg's sonic blasts, and Jinx gave her team the wrong formation. Overall, it was a piece of cake.
Slade watched as Robin went over to the police to handle reports, Starfire trailing almost instinctively behind him. The Boy Wonder took her hand in his nonchalantly, and she floated happily by his side as he spoke. A few policemen had gathered around the scene, talking animatedly with the duo, hand gestures included. After a moment, Starfire took the heavy paper files from him and propped them up on her hip with her free hand.
Not too far away, Raven was following each of the members of the Hive Five to their respective police cars, making sure each of them were handcuffed properly and ready to go before sending the cars on their way. Occasionally, she glared back at Cyborg and Beast Boy, making what Slade could only assume to be sharp comments and witty retorts. He could always tell by the look in her eyes, the tiny, barely discernible added prop to her hip, and the extra sway to her walk.
Raven's tiny figure soon joined Cyborg and Beast Boy as they threw punches and exchanged jokes. Slade could almost hear their obnoxious laughter all the way from the top floor of his 30 story apartment building. Just few minutes after the laughter had died down, Robin and Starfire joined them, and together the titans made their way over to their favorite pizza place.
Slade's eyes lingered just a bit longer on the aftermath of the battle. A streetlamp had been disrupted, a couple of cars were dented and a storefront window shattered. But other than that, there had been minimal damage and the police were already scampering to clean everything up and clear the street. He watched them work like tiny ants below him before finally retiring to his chair once more. Slade sat down slowly, the ankle of one leg resting casually on the thigh of the other as his foot tapped lightly to some unheard rhythm. His mind drifted back to the scene he had just witnessed and deep within him, the resentment he felt for the titans doubled in size. Just that simple acknowledgement made his fingers curl tightly into fists and his jaw harden. There was something to be hated about the way Beast Boy and Cyborg laughed so easily, Raven looked at the two with the same kind of fond annoyance an older sister would have for younger brothers, and Robin and Starfire displayed their affection for each other so openly. Slade's gaze shifted back to the cleared street, where traffic was flowing freely, and citizens roamed the sidewalk. The titans had saved the city. Again.
Truthfully, Slade Wilson was not a man to speak often. But when he quietly whispered, "I'll destroy them," past the window of his penthouse and to the hundreds of ignorant people roaming happily about below him…
He meant every single word.