SLASH!
CLANG!
POW!
Slade hit the ground with a grunt and rolled to a stop. He picked himself up. “Good.” He leapt into the air, aiming a kick at his opponent - but at the last second, he took out his bo staff and swung.
THOK!
His opponent flew backwards, but grabbed a hanging rope and swung up onto it. They watched Slade as Slade strolled over. “You're getting nimbler.” Slade remarked. “Very good.”
His opponent swung onto a catwalk and slipped into the dark.
“Hiding in the dark isn't going to help,” Slade said, looking up. KRACK! Something slammed into his back, knocking him down. Slade skidded forward on his chest, throwing up lots of dust. Mid-skid, he did an odd flip to get himself back up onto his feet. “Sneaky. My, you're learning fast.”
He turned around to check if anybody was still behind him - and his opponent dropped onto him from high above. But Slade simply grabbed them between his feet and hurled them aside. “Quite fast,” the masked man said, brushing himself off as he got up…
Wade glared, partially obscured in shadow. “I'm a fast learner.”
“Indeed.”
KOW! Wade skidded across the ground, but righted himself quickly.
“So what have you learned?” Slade charged his Apprentice, swinging his bo staff like a sword.
KLANG! Wade had a real sword, and he'd drawn it to block. Slade bore down all his weight upon the staff, but Wade didn't budge. “They are planning to go after Aviarius first,” he told Slade as their weapons struggled against each others’ strength. “To get Shego back the powers he took away from her and Team Go.”
SCHING! Slade’s superior strength eventually overpowered Wade, and the sword was knocked from his hand - but Wade rolled out from under Slade as Slade’s forward momentum carried him – leaving Slade to fall flat on his face. But before Wade could get to his sword, Slade flit out a foot and tripped him, sending Wade to the dirt as Slade walked over and picked up his Apprentices’ sword. “Where did you get this, by the way?” Slade asked.
“It's a hand-folded steel replica of the best sword you can get in “Everlot” – the computer game,” Wade clarified, seeing the look on Slade’s…not face, but it was close enough for the time being.
“Ah. I see. Have you ever used it?”
“Bonnie seemed quite displeased with the hole it made in her chest after she refused to obey your execution order.”
“I was wondering about that incident. Too bad, Bonnie…showed such potential - capturing the Possibles and all…”
Out of the blue, Wade lunged for the sword, but Slade deflected him. Wade caught his footing, spun, and charged at Slade – stopping in his tracks as Slade put his hand out in front of him. “Enough for today. Though, I will admit I was a tad surprised by that last attack. You're starting to get the hang of the element of surprise, Apprentice,” Slade complimented.
“Thank you, Master.”
“Your sword.” He handed Wade the sword, the handle facing Wade. Wade cautiously took it – and instantly spun to block Slade's bo staff. Slade raised an eyebrow. “Very good, Wade. A few more days, and you'll be in condition to fight them.”
“I look forward to it, Master. But, if I may, I have a question: Why do I not have a suit like what Bonnie recieved?”
“Patience. In time, you will. But for right now, consider - Which would be easier for you: Fighting a former friend who's changed even their wardrobe? Or fighting a former friend who looks exactly the same as before?”
“I see, Master. I apologize for asking-”
“No. No apologies. It was an honest question. I understand. You are still ten years old, remember. Well done, Apprentice. Go resume your other duties and activities. We are finished today.”
“Yes, Master.”
Wade bowed, sheathed his sword, and disappeared.
Slade looked around, contracted his bo staff, and disappeared.
“So where does this lead to?” Kim asked as everybody walked up the rock staircase.
“There is a big mansion over this cave,” Señor Senior Sr. explained. “Whoever owned it abandoned it long ago.” They came to the door at the top of the stairway and entered the mansion.
“Whoah…” Cyborg gaped, looking around.
“I must warn you, though-” Senior continued, “Be quite careful in your looking around here. Junior and I have had more than a few times where we've found ourselves lost.”
They entered the bottom room for the mansion’s grand staircase. Ron ran up the staircase. “Holy shit…this ain't no mansion, people - this is a fuckin’ castle!”
Senior nodded. “It is large enough that you may do some of your practicing without it being heard through the walls of the house - but nothing that would create even a small explosion or a crashing sound.”
“Aw - I wanted to knock something over,” Beast Boy griped.
“So we can only practice hand-to-hand,” Robin confirmed.
Kim smiled at Shego. “Oh, goodie - Shegee and I can spar.” Shego smiled back at her. Having had her powers taken by Aviarius again, it would be good to polish up on her fisticuffs.
“I must ask you-” asked Junior, “Why exactly have you been constantly calling her ‘Shegee?’”
“Shouldn't it be obvious to you, my Son?” Senior asked.
“It should?”
“Yes, it should be quite obvious – but as it's not, I'll tell you: Those two are wrapped within the throes of love.”
“Well, that's a new way of putting it,” Kim noted.
Shego raised one eyebrow. “’Wrapped within the throes of love?’” She shrugged. “Well, it doesn't matter if it's fucking tinfoil we're wrapped in the throes of love with - your Daddy's right, Junior.”
“Ah, ‘Daddy…’” Senior suddenly fell into a reminiscing state. “I remember when that was about all that Junior would call me…”
“Father!” Junior cried, embarrassed already.
Suddenly Kim and Shego looked down - literally, and emotionally. Starfire also seemed to be a bit down suddenly. “I didn't say anything,” Beast Boy reminded everyone.
Starfire sniffed back a tear. “It is not you, Beast Boy.”
“Guys, you'll never believe this,” said Ron – coming down the staircase “You know the floor that's right above this one? IT'S GOT LIKE FIFTEEN BATHROOMS ON IT!”
Crickets.
Raven raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Ron looked around the room. “I came in at the wrong time, didn't I?”
“You know what?” Senior spoke up. “Before any of you spar, why don’t you all take the time to rest and recover for a while? An attack now, while your minds are not at rest and calm-”
Kim interrupted, now suddenly angry. “Our minds will never be at rest or calm – until those bastards pay…” she growled.
“Even Wade?” asked Starfire.
“Especially Wade.” Shego’s voice was ice.
Ron crossed his arms. “Yeah – especially Wade.”
Kim glared. “I don’t care if he’s only 10 years old – that little piece of shit’s goin’ down!” Then all her anger just seemed to vanish. She looked down. “I can’t believe I just said that…”
“Yeah, Kimmie – I think rest and recovery would be good,” Shego said, taking Kim with her.
“Rest and recovery it is.” Robin looked at the rest of the group.
Slade walked in the sliding doors of the underground control room. Awaiting him were Dr. Drakken. Brother Blood, and Aviarius. “So? What's the deal?” Drakken pestered.
Slade walked right past him – much to Drakken’s annoyance. “Aviarius - they're coming after you. To take back the powers you retrieved from Shego and her - deceased - brothers…”
“Yes! They will not be able to touch me!” Aviarius cackled. “I will crush them like a parrot's beak!”
“Actually, Aviarius - you will allow them to take the powers away from you.”
Aviarius stopped cackling. “What?”
“We need to just get them over here. Then we open the door on Wades plan.”
“Would it be alright if I still crushed maybe one of them like a parrot's beak?”
“No.” Slade looked around. “They will be coming within the timeframe we have set out. Prepare.”
Brother Blood grinned evilly. “On the double.”
END ACT TWO