* * *
I wrenchedthe blade from her hand for the thirteenth time in ten minutes.
“You’re still too slow.” I spun the weapon in one hand. Vaguely, I wondered if she was impressed.
A growl of frustration rumbled from her throat. My scary little badass was getting worked up.
“Bob, you traitor,” she muttered.
“I’m sorry. What was that?”
“Bob,” she said, holding out her hand. “It’s what I call the Blade of Bane.”
My twirling stopped abruptly. “You named the most powerful weapon that can decimate immortals. . . Bob?”
Miranda pushed some braids back over her shoulder. “That’s its name,” she said impatiently. “Blade of Bane? B. O. B. Bob.”
I observed the weapon in my hand, trying to swallow the moniker.
“Give it back,” she said, her voice suddenly serious as a heart attack. Concern tightened her eyes, her shoulders squaring off.
I flipped the sword over, offering her the hilt again. Miranda took it and turned her back on me to walk to the other side of the cell.
“I don’t even know if I should be doing this,” she said, and I couldn’t tell if it was for me or for herself. “The blade was given to me and only me. I was told I wasn’t to allow it to fall into the hands of any immortal and here we are practically playing catch with the damn thing. I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot.” The words came out harsh. Miranda’s gaze flew up to meet mine. “And better me than someone who really wants it.”
“How do I know you don’t?” she accused.
“What?”
“How do I know this isn’t some ploy to have Bob all to yourself?” She clutched the weapon tightly. “That you aren’t luring me into a false sense of security so you can wield this weapon and slay gods and reap power?”
Extending my arms out, I said, “Miranda, the only one I want dead is me.” That only made her frown deepen. “You’re too serious,” I observed.
“I’mtoo serious?” Miranda let out a scoff before crossing the distance back to me. “I have a duty. A duty to the blade to protect immortals and all of mankind. I have a duty to Bianca to take her seriously and not to destroy the world. And I have a duty to free you from your pain.”
“Oh well then, I didn’t realize you were so important.”
She pointed Bob at me.
For fucks sake, was I really calling it Bob now too?
“That’s not what I said.”
I stalked around her slowly, in a circle. “Sure you did. You are the most important person on this earth, and you have zero time for pleasure or fun.”
She twisted to keep her eyes on me. “And you are down here having a barrel of fun every day. Oh wait, that’s just because you have zero responsibilities to anyone else but yourself.”
My smirk fled faster than my good humor. “Don’t compare us. We are not the same.”
“No, no, go on. You can criticize me for trying to do the right thing, but I can’t point out your hypocrisy. You don’t have a pot to piss in, buddy. I may be struggling to figure out how to wield a power that could help or hurt the entire world, but you are only concerned about yourself. Would you even care if your death did trigger the end of the world? Or are you so selfish that you wouldn’t give a damn? Maybe I should rethink this entire situation.”
I stopped in front of her again. Power began to churn in me, responding to the bait. “Don’t toy with me, Miranda.”
“Why? Aren’t you having fun? Isn’t this the fun you are talking about? Don’t you enjoy toying with me anymore, beast boy?”
A growl escaped my throat. “I’m helping you right now, protecting your precious little status of savior of the world.”
