Encore: Chapter Ten

Meister's POV

I can't remember what I'd been working on. I think I was trying to write a new song, or maybe I was transposing one...it didn't matter. What did matter was that I'd been pulled out of my thoughts to hear someone urgently calling for me.
“Clef? Clef!” Someone called from just outside, banging on the door as quickly and with as much force as possible.
I pulled my sunglasses on over my eyes and opened the door.
“Mina?” I said in confusion. “What are you doing here, there's no rehearsal today....”
“I know, but...” She paused, heaving for breath and wiping her forehead with her arm.
My confusion turned into concern. “Mina, you're exhausted, why don't you sit—!”
“No!” She gasped, taking a step back. “I came here to tell you...”
“Tell me what?” I said slowly as she took another breath.
“I'll explain on the way, but...” she straightened, still breathing deeply, but I could see the panic in her face. “They've found you. Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary...”
I was stunned. “What?”
“They're coming to get you in two days.”
My eyes widened.
“...Oh.”
                                       
It was a short while later when Mina was pulling me by the hand from the costume closet to the front doors. I'd been outfitted in a simple black coat, with a matching beanie covering my distinctive hair. They smelled fine, but they smelled like they had been found in a theater; theaters smell like sawdust, take-out, coffee, and paint, which is not always pleasant.
“Mina, where are we going?” I asked as the front doors came into our sights.
“Daisy Cafe and Bakery—it's where I work. I need to be nearby, just in case they decided that they don't want to wait...I don't want you alone if they decide to attack sooner....”
“Mina...” I said, noticing that her voice was getting tighter as she kept talking. We approached the front steps of the theater and heard the raindrops pattering against the windows.
“I've already missed a few days of work this month, and I can't afford to miss any more—keep your head down—not to mention that I don't really know where else to go! It will be safe, I hope...if not, maybe you can sneak into the back room...”
“Mina!” I exclaimed, jumping down to the step in front of her. She appeared shocked, but also she looked so terrified and sad. Once again, I was left speechless.
“I'm sure we'll end up fine,” I said gently, putting my hands on her shoulders. “I'll be okay, and you'll be safe. Nothing is going to hurt you.”
I kept my eyes locked on hers, although she was still searching to see my own eyes behind the sunglasses. There was a brief moment when I considered taking the glasses off, but her gaze shifted slightly.
“We should get going...people are watching,” she whispered. I glanced around to see that there were indeed a few people looking.
We went on. The change between midtown Gotham and downtown was noticeable, and almost an obvious shift. The streets went from being mostly clean and well-it to being dark and dirty. At one point, Mina led me across the street, walked to the end of the block, and crossed over again. I asked her why we did that.
She looked nervous. “Oh...that's crime alley, where Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered. I avoid going near that place; it feels weird.”
We continued walking again, going deeper and deeper downtown. The area around Daisy Cafe seemed to be a bit cleaner, as if it was projecting an aura of purity among the gloom. Mina pulled a key out of her bag and looked through the glass door.
“Oh dear...” She said. I placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked to me. “I'd suggest playing along....”
With that unsettling comment, she threw the door open and walked in, beaming. “Aida! I didn't think you'd be working today!”
A girl with frizzy hair popped up from the back room. “I wasn't, but Teresa needed to switch shifts!”
Mina laughed nervously. “Heh, well, what an unexpected surprise! Aida, I'm certain you're familiar with Harrison Webber, my music director, who you used to be in choir with?”
Mina turned back to me, smiling nervously. Aida suddenly looked overjoyed.
“Oh, Harrison! I didn't think I'd be seeing you again!” She walked to me and shook my hand. “How's life?”
I was silent for a moment, trying to remember when I'd seen this woman. Then it struck me.
“...Aida Lemmon! I've been doing well ever since the Messiah! Did you dye your hair?”
“Yes, I did, actually, but.... Mina, are you okay?” Aida asked, glancing toward her coworker. Mina looked as if she might faint.
“...I think I need to sit down....” She mumbled, falling onto the closest seat.
“Anyway,” I said, trying to divert attention from Mina. “How are you, any big events I should know about?”
“Well, I opened the bakery with a friend, and I got married! What happened, by the way, you left choir so suddenly?”
I smirked, going to help Mina stand up. “It's a funny story, actually, would you like to hear it?”
                                       
Aida waved as she headed back home. I gestured back as Mina struggled with the lock, her hands shaking.
“Are you sure you're fine?”
She shrugged. “I'd like to say that it's just the rain, but that would be lying.”
“Then what is it?” I asked, taking the key from her hand to lock the door.
She pulled her coat closer around her, shivering. “I'm still nervous about...them...coming in two days. Two days!”
I'd almost forgotten about that; I had no idea why I always forgot about my villainous past when I was around Mina. I'd had a good time in the cafe with her and Aida, catching up with Aida and learning more about Mina. It was amazing to me that she was also a parkour practitioner and knew self defense, which would prove valuable to my plan.
“We don't need to worry. Things will work out fine.”
Mina seemed much more worried about the upcoming Saturday than I was. I didn't know why—the odds were that it would be me who would end up in Arkham. Unless she was worried about joining me there, I couldn't see her distress.
She raised her head to the sky before replying. “How do you think things will turn out after Saturday?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Mina opened her eyes, and they reflected the streetlights. She looked melancholy.
“In two days, you'll either achieve revenge or you won't. If you do, we'll part ways, you'll take over the world or something, and we probably won't see each other again. If not....”
Words failed her and I picked up where she left off. “...I'll end up in Arkham once more, and we'll have parted ways again.”
“Exactly,” she said.
Either way, we'd end up alone, not matter what we did. She wouldn't be completely by herself; she still would have Aida, who was a wonderful person, but it would be one less person who cared about her.
I was suddenly confused. Wait, since when have I cared about her? Why? How much do I care? I'm not supposed to care, I'm a supervillain—I'm the Music Meister! This isn't supposed to happen! I can't let her know. I have to let her know. How could I tell her? Why her, of all people?
In a moment, the thoughts died, leaving me with only one: I truly, deeply cared for Philomina Todd in a way I didn't know I was capable of caring.
She looked at me again, and I noticed that her makeup had smudged from the rain on her lower eyelid.
“The theater is about five long blocks down. I guess I'll be seeing you later...”
“Wait,” I said, realizing that my time with her was limited, and I wanted her to at least have one pleasant memory with me. “Could I walk you home? This doesn't seem like a safe place for you to be alone.”
She considered it briefly, then agreed. She lived deeper downtown, in some of the shadier places, so I was glad she wasn't by herself.
We walked in silence for a few blocks until she pointed at a tall building.
“That's where my apartment is. Thank you for walking with me.”
“It was my pleasure,” I said, feeling calmer than ever. “Oh, Mina, I have one more thing...”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a black band, which she took.
“What is this?” She asked, examining it.
“It's a headband specifically designed to block out the hypnotic frequencies of my voice.”
She held it at arms length. “Wait...so you made this?”
I shrugged. “Technically I stole it from Arkham, but it doesn't really matter.”
“How long ago did you steal it?”
“As soon as I found out how to escape,” I said.
Mina looked at it once again, then smiled. “Well...I guess this will help if you plan on hypnotizing Batman.”
We stood in silence for a while until Mina adjusted my hat so it covered my hair better.
“...Tomorrow, then?” She said.
I nodded slowly. “By Friday evening, you'll look just like one of us.”
A mischievous smile spread across her face. “That sounds like fun.”
I smirked and bowed, taking her dainty fingers within my grasp. “Until tomorrow, my little fermata!”
After planting a quick peck on the back of her hand, I stepped back. She was rooted to the spot for just a moment, then practically ran to her door.
“Goodbye!” She called over her shoulder with just enough time for me to see her pink face.
As I lingered momentarily, I heard shrill voices scream from the other side of her door.
“Who was that guy?!” I heard Mina's frustrated groan, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
I turned on my heel, whistling something from Singing in the Rain. I noted some thugs and minor criminals jumped deeper into shadow, wanting to get as far away as possible from the musical madman.