Konnichiwa minna! This is still Valda's birthday present and it will be finished before everything else I do. Thanxz to everyone who reviewed and special thanks to my friends at school who have reviewed… Anywayz, enjoy!
Red Crystals Aren't Always Rubies…
The relentless pounding and battering of freezing, heavy droplets splashed along the now dark, deserted streets of Chinatown, New York City. Ferocious flashes of electricity teleported from the sky down to earth frequently; naturally lighting up the sky making the moon and stars obsolete. Thunder rumbled throughout the atmosphere adding to the mysterious and spooky atmosphere… It was April showers at its peak… an April storm on a Monday… No doubt a well-thought of seventeen-year-olds birthday… Too bad it wasn't April fools…
Groaning erupted through the room as seven Titans opened their eyes, trying to bring motion to their numb and restraint limbs. Everyone was hanging from the ceiling by chains wound tightly around their wrists while their ankles had been bound together by adhesives. Dark shadows moved beneath them, metal glinting in the striking lights of the natural storm. The violent breeze whipped through their dark clad clothes and the Titans hair. One ninja walked underneath where Richard was hanging next to Garth and Roy. He ripped off his mask and spoke to two of his ninja companions. "Get the girls down, they won't harm you…" Rachel and Brianna exchanged looks.
'Play along Brianna, pretend you are weak and will give into any man's desire.'
'Have you gone freakin' nuts Rachel! There's not a man alive who can tell me what to do.'
'Except Victor.' Brianna glared. 'Anyways, the sooner we play along, the sooner we have the chance to free the guys and the sooner we can track Kori down and free her. Hear the logic. See the logic… Now do the logic!' Brianna mentally sighed as she winked at the ninja who had his around her exposed waist. Rachel cooperated in a similar manner, but not as seductively as Brianna; she wasn't into that. She clicked her tongue as she surveyed her surroundings, feeling her captor's torso on her back, his broad hands on her shoulders making escape impossible. She glanced over towards her friend, who was not enjoying the attention she was receiving. Her captor's hands were currently in places that should never be touched without a woman's permission. Doesn't their momma's teach them anything about respecting a lady? His hand went lower… Guess not. Brianna grimaced towards Rachel, while she looked relatively calm.
"Well young warrior… I didn't think we would meet like this again…" Richard's eyes widened.
"Katarou, I should have known you were behind this…"
"At least I can pull off a worthwhile disguise… Do you really think that blending in with common people and blending in with them would throw off your trail Boy Blunder? Why not stop the charade now… Your little friends are the only people we are interested in…" The Chinese criminal carried on boasting about his supreme plan and order; not bothering to read in between the lines. He strolled over to Rachel and cupped her cheek… "Why aren't you an exotic one…? You would fit right in where your friend is…" He slurred as he stroked her cheek… all cheeks… Rachel sighed as she soon made eye contact with her team mates.
'Guys. He only knows that Richard is Robin, the rest of us are safe.'
'Yeah but you're not, and what do you want us to do about, if you haven't noticed, we haven't exactly got our feet on the floor!' Garth thought back angrily in the open conversation.
'Okay, just play along and Logan… Stay as quiet as a mouse but don't turn into one. You guys hang tight while me and Rach dead with these perverts!' Rachel glanced over to Brianna who was shivering slightly, she gave a nod slight nod. Brianna smirked as she looked up to the Chinese ninja behind her, she slowly pulled his hood off, revealing his sullen and straight face. She turned around in his arms. "Come here darlin'." He obliged as he placed his lips on her neck. She smiled and giggled, encouraging his antics, enraging Victor at the same time. "Hmmm darlin', this feels so good." She looked at him dreamily in the eye and licked her lips seductively… "Take me with you…" She blinded him with her soft palm covering his dark eyes and leant in closer…
…
…
… "HIYA!" She cried as she kneed her assailant in between the legs, his most sensitive area. She then sprang out of his arms into a back hand spring, flipping over to the ceiling. Rachel freed herself from her captor in a similar fashion, but not with all the fancy gymnastics. The ninjas looked stunned, but recovered gracefully as the five men dropped from the ceiling simultaneously. They all cracked their fingers and stretched. "Let's do this!" They instantly sprang into action as the ninjas charged at them full throttle. Richard landed in a mid-back hand spring, spinning on his hands kicking the ninjas around him sending them flying through the windows. Roy fought alongside Logan and Victor fought alongside Garth, performing many mortal combat feats with great precision. Soon the ninjas halted as they stared in awe at a growing shadow emerging from the shattered window. They all bowed as they murmured 'master'. Even Katarou. The shadow smirked behind the mask as he stared at the Titans.
"Well Kid, looks like we meet again… Great minds truly think alike." Before Richard or any of the other undercover Titans could move, their bodies were plastered to the opposite wall. The ninjas chuckled simultaneously in their heads. Roughly, the shadow hauled Katarou towards him. "Did you get the ruby?" A nod. "Were any of them harmed?" A shake of the head no. "Good. Allez!" The ninjas vanished within a flash of lightning. The remaining Titans blinked while Richard's covered gaze remained fixed on the shattered window. Logan began to squirm around in his confinement, not liking what the red adhesive was doing to his new threads.
"People, someone get me out of here before I go off the heezie!" Logan growled. Victor emitted a laser from his pocket while he blasted his team mate's confinements, except for Logan.
"Seriously, if I let you down, you stop with the wigga-shit before I let Rachel pull off some other shit." Logan thought deeply about this…
"What kind of shizzle my brother?" Victor groaned as Brianna slapped her forehead. Rachel stepped forward with her eyes glowing black.
"How about the 'I'll send you into another dimension'," She cocked her head to the side and former her right hand into a gunshot, with dark energy wisps at her fingertips. She raised an eyebrow as Logan nodded profusely. Eventually he was lowered down, straight afterwards he was bounced upon by Victor and Brianna, not feeling his vibe. Rachel shook her head and turned her back on them. She slowly made her way over towards the other three guys' conversation.
"We need to save Kori, Richard. Who knows what they have in store for her. She's way to hot to be with them."
"Roy, you're seriously not helping the situation. First you take her for a walk, which could have exposed her to all sorts of danger, then you tell Richard… that… and now she's gone missing and you can think of is how hot she is!"
"Well Garth, at least I didn't complain about who I was sharing with. You know you wanted her… You know I'm just into winding her up… and him…"
"Will both of you effin' shut the hell up! I'm trying to concentrate. There has to be a pattern here, something we're over looking. Why would Red X and Katarou be in Chinatown? And what do they want with Kori?"
"Why did Katarou call me exotic?" Rachel called out interrupting his train of thought. A creak alerted them that they were no longer alone. A lone light slipped through the crack in the doorway, until the door was fully pushed open. An Elder accompanied by an elderly woman walked gracefully through, bowing at the site of them. The Titans responded with a bow.
"You seemed troubled young ones. May we be of assistance?" The Elder asked as his companion served them all herbal tea. The Titans all stared at Richard to answer…
"My – Our friend has been kidnapped by these Ninjas… and a few, faces from our pasts are linked in with the situation… Do you have any idea where she could be or why they would want her?" Richard asked politely, sipping his tea after. The Elder closed his eyes.
"You speak of the failed warrior… He has sinned and is therefore not an ally, but the Ninja with a red cross is an ally in the rough."
"What?" Richard and Titans almost chocked on their tea.
"I speak the truth young ones. He merely has a diverse view of justice… He, despite it all, will be the one to help you with saving your companion…"
"Are you sure you can justify that acclamation with evidence?"
"Why else would I be help to help you young one… I believe if your friend Kori was still here, she would be telling you to listen to the words of an Elder, especially one who is in league with the True Master." Richard's eyes widened behind the mask.
"The True Master… You know her personally."
"Blood knows blood young one; however your friend is running out of time and so am I. Destiny and fate must join together to neutrally control Karma."
"How do we find Kori… and what do they want with her?" The Elder shook his aged head.
"I cannot tell you directly where she is or why they want her… Only in a pair of riddles… Her location: Where soup becomes feminine but remains masculine… and her purpose: When the ruby becomes touched, there the ruby shall be released and then the ruby shall be revealed… That is all the information I can give you young one… May Godspeed be with you." With another bolt of lightning, the Elder and his companion vanished along with the steaming herbal tea. Logan twitched irritated.
"Yo, how's a bunch of whacked out riddles gonna help us find Kori?" Victor sighed while Richard paced around…
"I don't know Logan, but her life may be in danger…"
"Yeah, to them, she must be as precious as a ruby." Garth added as Roy nodded in agreement. Suddenly Rachel gasped in horror.
"I think the situation just became more serious. I know where she is."
"Tell us Rachel! Now!"
"Richard you need to calm down before I tell you… and you can't barge into places like these… She's at the… Feng Shui Moon." Richard shrugged his shoulders.
"Probably some old abandoned warehouse… I'm more than calm…" He replied without prior knowledge. Roy slapped his hand on his shoulder.
"Stay that way bro cos… It's not an abandoned warehouse… It's a brothel…" Richard visibly gulped… He remained silent. Victor decided to answer for him.
"Rachel… how did you now it was a brothel?"
"From the clue the Elder gave us… Another word for soup is broth and when he was talking about masculine and feminine, he meant it. Brothels are usually jammed packed with women but still dominated, run by men. The el at the end of the word symbolises the Spanish term for he." Garth nodded but was still perplexed.
"Okay… but how did Roy know what it was…?" The red haired archer shrugged.
"I walked past it on my travels… Anyways, can you figure out that other riddle…" The Titans remained silent for a while until Richard began pacing again, more erratically than last time.
"Rubies… That's the answer as well as the question!" They all stared.
"Am I the only one confused?" Logan asked while the others shook their heads no. Brianna closed in on Richard.
"He didn't come from a great detective for nothing. Show us what you got Boy Wonder…"
"Rubies… There are precious stones and the form that is priceless beyond compare is a blood ruby! It's truly invaluable and supposedly can be unlocked by pure blood. Problem is there are only two in the whole world and one has been hidden for over five thousand years. Its sister has been transported around the globe almost unknowingly… But why would they want Kori? She's only wearing the ruby chocker that I gave to her last year…" Garth dug deep into his pocket and pulled out an identical ruby chocker… with Kori's name engraved in emerald…
"Maybe because she's not?" He whispered sheepishly as they all gasped.
"Oh no! Then, then… She's… She's… Titans we have to save her and quickly too."
"I'm still confused…" Richard sighed as he flopped down to the floor close to tears. He refused to let them fall as they would be a sign of weakness to his comrades.
"Long ago my Uncle used to tell me this tale of a two rare blood rubies. How they we born out on the other side of the earth and their insides were as clear as diamonds tainted red. They were almost as strong as diamonds as well. But a young princess sold her blood ruby which had been in her dynasty for generations as she discovered the true power of them. Her mother before her had previously entrusted the other blood ruby with an Elder who travelled the world, legend has that he passed down the jewel through the generations of his family. The rubies had been separated. But as the Elder said to us before, blood knows blood therefore, blood will find blood. The blood rubies are linked to each other and Kori is wearing the key and she becomes the sacrifice… If that ruby is activated to find its sister, it will slowly strangle her in the bare moonlight if she has not become touched. However, if she does become touched the ruby will be released and the ruby shall be revealed to the man who touched Kori…"
"What do you mean by touched?" Logan asked, still not following.
"Rachel, Brianna, what is the most important thing to you that you wouldn't give away without fully agreeing… yet it can be easily taken?"
"My pride?" Brianna answering unsurely. Rachel sighed.
"He's talking about our virginity… It's as precious to a woman as a blood ruby to a man… They're going to have to rape Kori before they can access the key."
"No… Kori has to give herself away at the own free will. As long as she's not exposed to any full moonlight she'll be fine." Richard instantly sounded downhearted. Victor picked up on his vibe and gave him a brotherly side hug.
"Don't worry man, we'll get your girl back… I mean she can handle herself and it's only Red X who has a definite attraction to her…"
"Yeah! What other villain would come all the way from Jump to lay her?" Roy added.
"You're not helping with the situation Roy and we need a way into that brothel… from the inside out." Roy cracked his fingers and walked towards Rachel. She shook her heart-shaped face profusely.
"No way in the seven chambers of hell!" Roy continued to advance on her until she was cornered against the stone cold wall. His lips slowly enveloped hers in a soft kiss, too irresistible to resist. Rachel responded with a light moan and encircled her arms around Roy's neck while he wrapped his toned arms around her slim waist. They broke away slowly, much to the awe and surprise of the other Titans…
"You truly are exotic…" Rachel sighed as she gazed into Roy's pleading grey eyes.
"Fine… But no more flirting with Kori and making Richard ready to kill you…"
"Now why would I do a thing like that?" Rachel shrugged as she regained composure, separating herself from Roy. She coughed loudly to gain the Titans attention. Richard smirked and rolled his eyes…
"Let's do this…"
-X-
The solitaire, ghostly pale sphere floated dimly in the mist of a musky covering blocking its path. A shrill breeze whipped through the atmosphere, sending a chill up the darkest of dark souls. The rattle of chains shimmered through the air, its echoing making the scene more surreal and mysterious than it actually was. An adolescent girl clad in a cerise trumpet shirt, which had been slashed beyond reason, and crimson fading into black trousers complete with stained Converses™ and a perfect solitaire ruby placed in the centre of a velvet choker. Handcuffs had been strapped harshly to her slender wrists as she aroused from her unconscious state. Blinking open her emerald irises she scanned her surroundings…
The room was dimly lit by a series of forever-changing lava lamps, but mostly a mixture of red, white and black. Silken drapery surrounded her immediate area as satin coverings tickled her now exposed waist. The feather-filled soft pillows cushioned her aching neck. She looked up towards the golden-brass head board and shook the chains harder. She screamed as loud as she could until her calls were answered…
"I see that you are eager, young… supple woman…"
"What do you want with me Katarou?" Kori growled as he chuckled with amusement…
"It's not about what I want woman… But I'll leave you with something to think about… What's as precious as a ruby… to you as a woman? Think about it woman… The answer may be more… rewarding than ground-breaking… from a male's perspective anyway…" The door slammed shut as something creaked, dropped and shattered in the darkness.
As precious as a ruby? Lots of things have that significant value… Life… My family… My friends… Richard…
Carefully, she fingered the ruby, trying to find her engraved name… It didn't exist… What?
"This isn't the ruby Richard gave me! What kind of trick is this?"
"This is no trick child… But a glorious prophecy…" A mysterious voice from the shadows delivered.
"… What prophecy? Why am I here and why do I have this fake ruby around my neck!" Kori rattled the chained harder and louder, growling hard as she did so. The voice from the shadows maniacally chuckled.
"Dear child that will not help you escape… It won't do any use at all. The prophecy, I shall not reveal but that ruby is far from fake… You see… That ruby around your, ever so delicate neck is from a pair of rubies called the Blood Sisters… hence the name, they were the only two blood rubies created in China… which both have now made it to Chinatown."
'Talk about irony?' "But what does all of this have to do with me?"
"Think about this riddle child… When a ruby is tarnished… What is its worth in blood?"
"I do not understand… What do rubies have to do with me being kept against my will…"
"Oh, I don't think you'll be here against your will much longer… Now that your little friends have been annihilated. "A tear drop made its way down her flustered cheek.
"You are a liar! What do you want from me?"
"The blood ruby of course, but there's only one man who can obtain it and that's the man who touches you. And I will be that man." Her emerald eyes filled with tears of anger and fear as they widened.
"You won't lay a finger on me!" Kori spat back curtly. A gloved hand reached out from the shadows and stroked her exposed waist longingly…
"Dear child. You're chained to a bed which is impenetrable no matter how much power to expel upon it. All I need from you is your precious… innocence." Kori gasped as she tried to hide away from the taunting voice that belonged to the moving shadows of the room. The same cold, gloved hand was accompanied by another as it roamed her body as a two year old would stroke a new puppy. They coursed over her slender and sculpted structure, even in places that shouldn't have been touched…
"You know… I never thought that in a whole millennia, I would have the pleasure of touching someone as exotic as you… Starfire…"
Kori's body trembled with fear as she tried to cover herself with the satin and silken drapery. She swallowed painfully before asking… "Who are you?"
"I didn't think that I was appropriately dressed for the occasion… but then again…" The shadow revealed himself from the darkness. The dim light reflected off the copper elements of his armour…
"I think it's rather fitting for the situation…" His seductive, mechanically voice leered dangerously…
The rain still pounding hard from the storm, the fresh water scent seeping through the cracks… Kori closed her eyes tightly as his hands still ran circles around her body…
'…Slade…'
-X-
So the plot thickens as usual and you people still don't know what Roy said. Ha, and you're not finding out until the last chapter! I'm evil like that… Oh yeah and if anyone steals this plot, I will report you for plagiarism.
Thanxz to everyone who reviewed! Valda, TTHPfan, solodancer, skye668, Billy-Joe-is-hotter-than-you-will-ever-be, TitanGirlzRox, chocolatechika, RedXStarRob, falyn anjel, sTaRfIrExrObIn, Manisha and Lauren! You all rock!
Keep it real…
D-I-WaRrIa