Author's Notes: Since I'm bored and suck so bad at managing time, here's the next chapter! I could be working on that essay I haven't started that's due tomorrow, but... naaaaah.
Chapter 15: Addition
Starfire felt a scream rip from her throat before her eyes even had the chance to open. The muscles in her lower abdomen twisted and convulsed, again causing discomfort to spread all across her body. Her eyes finally shot open as her head tilted upwards, immediately beholding the stark white ceiling above her. As her pain faintly began to subside again, she lowered her head to see her large, swollen belly protruding outwards, containing a baby that she thought wasn't real until just moments ago. She wanted to run her trembling fingers over her pregnant stomach, but was soon reminded of the shackles which bounded her to the table. She clenched her fists in anger at this restriction, but also because of the intolerable pain she was going through.
Then, as expected, but still not something she wanted to see, the black figure slid into the room through the opening in the wall. Starfire's already rapid breathing rose another notch, contemplating the horrible things that were soon going to happen to her and her child. She wanted to cry out for Robin, but knew that her plea would not be heard.
"Mmm, it seems to me that the little one is complete and ready to join us." He said in his smooth yet menacing tone. He calmly walked over to a stainless steel table, which was a new feature to the room, containing various medical equipment, tools, and medicines. As he began to deliberate on which tools to utilize, Starfire took in a deep breath so she could attempt to force out her words.
"You… need not hide… any longer… Slade. I know it is… you." She panted, mustering as much contempt in her weak voice as she possibly could. The cloaked man didn't budge, continuing to look over his instruments.
"I assumed you would eventually figure it out, but really, it took this long? You must be a tad out of practice." The man reached towards his wrist, pressing a device, and immediately the blackness which had concealed him for so many months dissolved, exposing the villain for his true self - clad in his usual black suit and half copper mask. Though she knew it was him, Starfire still felt the wind get completely knocked out of her upon seeing him in person.
"W-wh-why… would… you… hide then… if you… knew I would… figure out." Starfire exhaled between heavy breaths.
"I figured it would take time, and I needed some extra time. Besides, Robin was far too preoccupied with my little threat to even pay attention to what was really happening. I was hidden in your nightmares… a perfect place to conduct my research in peace." Slade said, once again sounding like himself. Starfire sensed this change, recognizing him immediately and questioning why she couldn't pinpoint his identity before. Slade looked back at Starfire momentarily to see the confusion written over her pained face. He turned back around, picking up several utensils from the table, somehow knowing what was troubling her at that moment. "Voice filter. Not the most intricate invention, but it certainly does the job."
Slade spun back around, coming up next to Starfire's table, getting too close to her for comfort. He then disappeared from her view, leaning beneath the table, pulling on a lever which clicked into a new position, bringing the table from a 45 degree angle to the floor down to 180 - Starfire now laying completely flat on her back. She swallowed hard, realizing what this meant as she felt her ankles become released from the cuffs for what she assumed was the first time in six months. Her legs parted instinctively, preparing for what was to come.
"No... please no..." Starfire groaned, panicking as she bit her lip, another contraction beginning to rock her to her very core. Plus, the mere thought of Slade delivering her baby nearly sent her into hysterics.
"Oh, I'd prefer not to do the dirty work myself. Now I wouldn't have minded cutting you up to retrieve the child, but unfortunately your Tamaranean anatomy will not allow me to do that without endangering the fetus, so a natural birth will have to do." Slade returned to the array of equipment, preparing a few more tools before laying them down in an orderly fashion beside Starfire's table. "Ah, yes," He said, seeming to address himself. "My intern will be here shortly to assist. But don't worry, you'll see me again soon." His final statement caused her slight relief at the fact that he wouldn't be her 'nurse' to vanish, realizing that the birth of her child was merely the beginning of her suffering. Before turning to leave, Slade reached over to a system of machines hooked up to a computer, briefly typing in a code and shutting it down, the lights switching off and the gentle whir of operation ceasing. He firmly tugged on a few wires and sensors which then detached from Starfire, hanging limply from the machines to her left. Slade started towards the invisible door in the wall, but Starfire's weak voice made him stop halfway.
"Those… what were they?" She panted, recovering from her recent contraction, lifting her head up as far as she could to see the machines that had been present in every single one of her dreams since day one.
Slade turned back to face the curious alien, amused by her ignorance. "Those… were you. At least, who you thought you were. But 'she' isn't necessary anymore, is she? You don't need to live in your dreams anymore; it's time to wake up." Starfire could tell by the glee in his one visible eye that he was smiling at the near completion of his plan, excited to finally receive his prize. He walked out of the room laughing lightly, leaving the distraught girl alone with only her pain for company.
Slade's reminder of the now-dormant avatar which had stood in for Starfire for so long caused her emotions to hurt her nearly as much as the labor pains. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought about the despair on all of her teammates' faces as she departed from them, remembering that they didn't know where she was right now - didn't know if she was okay. Really, they knew she wasn't okay in her current condition, but they didn't know if she would come out of this - wherever she was. They weren't there to help her. Starfire felt a few tears fall down her face and wet her hair, which was already damp with perspiration. I wish so badly that Robin were here. He should be with me while I bring his child into the world.
She looked around, realizing that she was still totally alone. She felt a new panic form as she could sense that it was nearly time to begin pushing. Where is that intern that Slade had spoke of? No way is he leaving me alone… right? She struggled in her shackles that still held her wrists. I need HELP, she tried to scream, but her voice would not rise above an inaudible whisper.
Suddenly, a noise which gave her both hope and fright came from across the room. She craned her neck to see a small yet athletic young woman wearing a white doctor's uniform which seemed to go well with the white walls surrounding her. She had very tan skin and dark brown hair which was pulled into a bun on the back of her head, done very neatly and professionally. She stepped into the room, the wall shutting behind her, holding several white towels. Thank X'Hal, I will not be by myself, she thought as the woman walked towards her, her facial expression remaining so devoid of emotion that she could actually compete with Raven.
"Thank… thank you… for helping me." Starfire whispered. Despite the fact that this woman was actually assisting Slade, she couldn't help but feel grateful to her. The woman didn't acknowledge Starfire in the slightest, simply continuing to set up everything that was needed for the birth. Although this icy demeanor would usually send Starfire the message that 'I'm not your friend,' she barely noticed. The only thing she saw at the moment was that she wasn't Slade, so she immediately began to like her.
"What... what is your name?" Starfire asked quietly, attempting to distract herself from everything that worried her right then. The woman looked up to face Starfire, her eyes gloomy, exhibiting a bit more sadness than Starfire had originally detected.
"I am not supposed to speak to you." She stated blankly. Her voice had a heavy British accent, telling Starfire that she was probably new around these parts.
"Oh, but please. I am... really scared. I want... to know... your name." Starfire shut her eyes tight as she felt another contraction begin. She prepared for another long-lasting bout, but the pain was suddenly cut short, as if it had simply been drained out of her. She felt immense relief but even more confusion. She looked over to the woman to see her hands extended, glowing a very light blue. The glow vanished a few seconds later, and Starfire felt so much better - almost like she had been given an epidural.
Before Starfire could question what she had done, the woman met her eyes once again. "Adelaide." She looked away, sitting down on a chair at the end of Starfire's table.
"That is a... pretty name. Tell me... how did you... do that?"
Adelaide shook her head slightly. "I am not supposed to speak to you." She repeated, also reminding herself of this fact.
"But I would... love to know. Friend Raven also has the power of healing, do you as well?"
Adelaide groaned out of frustration, realizing that this girl wouldn't take a hint, even when the hint was very explicit. "I control pain. I can cause it, or I can take it away. Look, Slade is carefully watching us on his security cameras. He has told me that I may not speak to you. Got it?" She slipped on a pair of white rubber gloves as she finished her command, preparing to check Starfire's progress.
Starfire looked around, noticing for the first time that there were cameras all over the room, looking at her from every angle. She shivered slightly, realizing that she had never been truly alone. She nodded, deciding not to pester Adelaide any further, but her voice wouldn't have worked anyhow from the brief shock she felt as Adelaide examined her.
"Once I tell you, you must start pushing. You are fully dilated." She pulled back, readying several towels for the baby that would soon be joining them.
"I-I thought you... could not speak to me?" Starfire asked, genuinely curious, even though it seemed like she was just trying to annoy Adelaide.
Adelaide's eyes narrowed, but the rest of her face continued to show no emotion. "I only follow the orders I feel are reasonable. In order to safely deliver this baby, you must follow my instructions."
Although she likely was concerned about the baby's safety for Slade's sake, not Starfire or the baby itself, Starfire still felt like she could trust Adelaide, especially since she was willing to go against one of Slade's orders just to assist her.
"Okay. Begin." Adelaide signaled. On cue, Starfire finally allowed her instincts to take over and pushed hard. The pain that Adelaide had recently taken away began to reappear, causing more beads of sweat to adorn her forehead. A few seconds later she stopped, gasping for air after the extreme exertion.
"Again."
After fifteen endless minutes of pushing, Starfire was more exhausted than she ever had been before, unable to pry her eyes open - let alone continue pushing. Adelaide reluctantly realized that some encouragement would be needed to finish the job.
"I only need you to give me one last push, alright? I can see the head." She said, trying to maintain her monotone, but a little bit of emotion leaking into her voice.
Though it wasn't as comforting as it would have been if it had come from one of her friends instead of a stranger, it was enough motivation for Starfire to put all her remaining energy into her abdominal muscles as she felt the baby leave her body. After another few seconds, she fell limp on the table, breathing heavily as she heard the small being cry out loudly. Despite feeling completely drained, she felt her lips turn up into a smile as she heard her child for the first time. It wasn't like she had been anticipating this moment for months like most mothers, but her labor itself felt like it took months. Adelaide brought the squirming newborn into a white towel, drying off the fluids and then clearing its lungs with a bulb syringe - merely conducting the normal protocol for a delivery. Even though she seemed very professional, Starfire, who could just see her face from where she lay, could see a trace of a tear developing in Adelaide's eye. Adelaide glanced over and saw Starfire staring at her. She quickly turned around to hide her eyes, continuing to treat the infant. She was completely silent, but the baby continued to cry, not allowing the room to fall quiet.
After a few minutes passed by and the ordeal was over, Starfire finally got her labored breathing under control. That night had been just hell for her, but finally that pain was over, and she could begin to think more clearly. She leaned up as far as she could, since her wrists were still attached to the table, to see Adelaide holding her bundled baby. "Adelaide? May I… see my child?"
Adelaide hesitated, looking down at the tired alien solemnly. Her face looked very sad, which Starfire wasn't expecting, since she thought she'd be happy that this 'offering' of Starfire's had finally been born. "Slade told me to not…" Her voice trailed off as it began to waver. Her lip trembled ever so slightly - it was hardly detectable but Starfire noticed it with her heightened senses. She abandoned what she was about to say and walked over to Starfire's side, the baby now quieted down in her arms. She slowly laid the baby down on Starfire's chest, setting down its head gently. The baby's eyes were barely open, peering up at her mother's shocked face.
"It's… a girl." Adelaide said, wiping her eyes gently with her sleeve. Starfire beamed, taking in the tiny details of her daughter's face. She could already see that this baby was surely her and Robin's making - the small amount of hair on her head was a deep red and Starfire could see through the small slits her eyelids made that her eyes were a mystifying shade of blue. Though most babies' eye color did not develop immediately, Starfire could tell that her daughter's eyes were a mixture of both her and Robin's genes, displaying Robin's eye color but Starfire's Tamaranean eyes, which has color both in the iris and the normally-white sclera. She was beautiful. How badly she wanted to caress her in her arms, but she still could not use her immobilized hands. After staring at the calm baby for several minutes, Starfire turned her attention to Adelaide, who was cleaning up the mess from delivery.
"Why are you upset, Adelaide? Should you not be… glad that Slade's plan has succeeded?" Starfire asked sadly, looking back at her baby, seeing Robin in her eyes. After she didn't reply, Starfire repeated her name, trying to get her attention. After the third time she asked, Adelaide finally looked up, trying to look at her sourly but the distress evident in her expression.
"I… did not think things would… get this way." Adelaide said slowly, beginning to lose her monotone. Starfire suddenly felt a ray of hope burn inside her heart. Adelaide really did not seem evil to her. In fact, it appeared that this harsh and cold attitude of hers was completely forced. Perhaps she could reason with her, because evidently, something about Starfire's sorrow caused her to be sorrowful as well.
"What do you mean?" Starfire pressed, watching Adelaide look down at the baby snoozing contently on Starfire's chest. She saw this shift in her gaze and realized that the concern she had earlier truly was for the baby, not Slade's 'prize.'
Adelaide shifted uncomfortably, looking around at the cameras, but careful not to turn her head so she could remain discrete. "Stealing… children… was not what I thought I would do with my life." She said in a defeated tone. However, after a few seconds, she quickly straightened up, attempting to regain her composure as a villain. "You have no more permission to speak. Slade will collect the child after I conduct examinations. No questions asked." Adelaide briskly walked over and picked up the child, taking her away from Starfire. Starfire wanted to protest but she knew her emotions would become uncontrollable if she accepted the fact that that could have been the first and last time she'd hold her baby. Though Adelaide's reluctance to explain her feelings was discouraging, Starfire knew she needed to keep trying.
"Then you do not have to. You have a wonderful gift - to remove pain. You would be an amazing doctor. You could help people… instead of hurting them."
Adelaide slowed her pace as Starfire talked, then came to a full stop as she contemplated her words, still holding the little girl. She stood with her back turned to Starfire for about a minute before she spun around, her eyes covered in a glassy film once again.
"I… wanted to be a doctor. But I… but back then I…" She struggled through her words, trying to hold back her worries and stay loyal to her master, but this situation was too much for her. "I could not properly control it… I would give patients unbearable pain on accident. I realized then I was better at causing pain than taking it away."
"But things are different today… you took away my pain. As you are right now, by talking to me." Starfire managed a tiny smile to encourage the woman whose decision would decide both Starfire and her daughter's future.
Adelaide sighed. "It is too late for me. Slade trained me, and I owe him a debt."
It was Starfire's turned to sigh sadly. She looked to the side as she recollected her old friend, Terra. "Slade has done this before, to a dear old friend of mine. We all loved her very much, she was part of our team - our family - but Slade corrupted her. Please, Adelaide, for your sake, do not do the same." Now Starfire was not only worried about her own hardship, but also Adelaide's, as she could sense that she was really a good person just in a bad situation.
"This baby…" Adelaide said, not acknowledging Starfire's advice. "Reminds me of the one I once had." She sniffled, looking down at the gorgeous little girl she held. She traced her face with her finger. "Con-congratulations."
Starfire watched her, bewildered. "Thank you. But… a child you 'once had'?" Adelaide's shoulders slumped as she looked like she was going to cry again. "I do not understand."
"Dammit, yes! A child I once had! But she is gone now, because of my powers and my inability to keep them under control. That's when I knew that 'good' wasn't an option for a monster like me!" Adelaide said, her voice rising until it nearly became a yell. Her tears flowed freely now, falling onto the somehow snoozing baby's white towel. She turned away from Starfire again, ashamed of her current behavior. Starfire was caught off guard with her sudden burst of emotion, but felt sympathy for her, as she could not imagine going through such pain.
"I…" Starfire started. "I am so sorry. I did not know." Adelaide continued to sniffle quietly, gently rocking the newborn. "But please, then you understand… how I feel about this child. I do not want to lose her… and I do not think you want to her hand her to Slade."
"But… I am better at crippling. Destroying. Terrorizing. That is why I belong with Slade." Adelaide's bitter words did not sound very sincere as she continued to sway back and forth with the red-headed baby. She kept glancing over at a table that was set up specifically for her to start checking the baby's heart rate, breathing, and other vital signs, but she was reluctant to set her down. She knew the quicker the examinations were completed, the quicker this small child would be taken away from her.
"Look at you now, Adelaide. You are so caring with my daughter, and I see no destruction you have caused. You are a good person. I can tell." Starfire said, seeing Adelaide's obvious affection for her baby. She couldn't help but feel jealous as she desperately wanted to do that herself, but she could sense that it was healing Adelaide, and that was they both needed at the moment. "You can save her. Even if you can not save me… you can save her."
Starfire's selfless attitude caused Adelaide to let out a sob, realizing what a horrible path she was currently on. She used to care for others like that - putting them before herself - but after her own baby died and her husband left her due to the overwhelming grief, she was discovered by Slade and taken under his wing. Already she had assisted him on several missions, causing their opponents such severe pain that they could not move, easily defeating them. Slade praised her, but never let her rise above the demeaning position of 'intern.' If anything, he praised his own amazing training skills. As she thought about it, Slade never actually concerned himself over her well being, but only wanted to utilize her valuable powers in a way she secretly dreaded. She hid her sorrow behind a wall, an emotionless barrier that concealed her pain by being a criminal. She took out her anger at her the loss of her family on the innocent, and now that she was about to devastate another family, she felt her barrier crumble to the ground, unleashing the sadness she had felt deep inside for years.
Adelaide remembered that she hadn't moved in a long time, which would likely look suspicious to Slade watching on the security cameras, so she finally set the baby down on the table, unwrapping the towel so she could expose the newborn. Starfire's eyes grew wide, realizing that after these examinations, she would lose her baby. "Please." Starfire whimpered, watching Adelaide listen to her baby's heart and mark something down on a clipboard.
"Not one more." Adelaide said simply, a determined look on her face.
"I am sorry?" Starfire asked, unsure of what her comment meant.
"I will not needlessly harm one more person." Adelaide concluded her thought, continuing to examine the girl. "I will get you both out of here, but you must always do exactly as I say. Understand?"
Starfire nodded her head vigorously, in no way turning down the opportunity to escape from Slade's prison cell. The ray of hope turned into a shining beacon. It seemed that Slade hadn't taken one important thing into consideration - the idea that his intern could yet again turn to the good side.
Author's Notes: Haha, so, I hope that wasn't too explicit or anything. I didn't exactly "describe" any of the imagery, but I also didn't want to just fast-forward past the birth scene :P And man, that was one fast villain-to-hero conversion! Go Starfire! XD