Authors note: Okay here is chapter three hope you guys like it whoever you are and puuhhhhhhhlease review. Okay in this chapter I won't be talking about Raven or Koriand'r but I will be talking a bit about Victor and Garfield. But mainly it's only about Richard, so hope you guys like it whoever you are and puuhhhhhhhlease review! And if I make a mistake puuhhhhhhhhhlease tell me! Thank you, now let's proceed with the story.
Chapter 3: Sheltered – Life after death
Young Richard was traumatized, no child should have to witness their own parent's death. Richard was so confused when 'it' happened. First the crowd kept an uncomfortable silence and then chaos, wildness. Everyone started running so he did too, he just kept running and running until all of a sudden he stopped, he finally absorbed what had happened. But he kept on walking, hoping he could get away and everything would be back to normal. His head was spinning out of control and his heart was thumping out of his chest. A tear trickled down his cheek. He was alone.
Many months later.
"You either pay up or a big disaster will occur."
"No."
"It can't happen," Richard tried to scream but the words couldn't come out. "They're my parents they can't die. If you just warned your parents in time 'it' wouldn't of happened Richard," Richard scolded himself. "This must be a dream.. no a nightmare."
The evil man chased Richard but he kept on running and running until he collapsed from exhaustion. The evil murder somehow found Richard. He marched towards Richard and grabbed his hair, Lifting a sharp, knife towards Richard's throat he spoke.
"It's time for you too, Richard, go join your parents," the evil man whispered into Richard's ear. "Say hello for me."
Richard woke up in a pool of sweat.
"It was just a nightmare Richard, just a nightmare," Richard soothingly told himself.
His stomach growled, he was hungry and hadn't eaten for days. Living on the streets wasn't easy, but over the few months on the streets he had learnt to take care of himself. If it meant hitting someone on the head with a bottle, then so be it. It helped that he was already athletically agile and flexible from being an acrobat.
"I need to eat something," Richard said to himself.
He picked himself up from the dusty floor he was sleeping on and started to walk. His stomach howled to be fed. Richard stopped walking and stared at the huge sign in front of an ancient church. On the rusty, metal, sign the words 'Sacred Heart Catholic Church, School and Orphanage' were engraved onto it. Richard entered the church it was dimly lit by candles, the place looked deserted.
"Maybe I could stay here I mean it's not like anyone lives in this dump," Richard said to himself.
Over the past months he had gotten used to talking to himself.
"Who goes there!" A female voice shouted.
The woman wore an overlay, white hood, habit, bib and belt. In her right hand was a kitchen knife and in the other hand a torch light. It took Richard a while to realize that she was a nun.
"Ahh!" Richard screamed. "Have I died too? Are nuns actually angels?"he thought to himself.
"Ahh it's a child, I simply must wake up Sister Maria she'll be delighted," the petite, gentle, woman spoke softly.
"Come child you must be very hungry! Oh and I haven't told you my name, how rude of me isn't it. Well my name is Sister Cecile."
The nun led Richard to a huge room with many tables. Then the nun then gave Richard some bread, cheese and water and left to do something else.
Richard sat there chewing on the crispy bread and sipping his water. His grumbling belly was finally silenced. It all seemed like a dream, him ending up at a church, him being rescued by a nun.
"Child, here comes Sister Maria," Sister Cecile pointed her hand at an old woman indicating her presence.
"Now tell me child, what are you doing here?" said a concerned Sister Maria.
Richard began his story about how he heard the strange man threaten to do something bad and about 'it'. Their eyes were wide with fear throughout the Richards account but they somehow managed to stroke Richard's hair soothingly as if to give him strength to carry on with the story. Finally he reached the end of the nightmarish tale that he was relaying to the Sisters.
"Come child, you must meet the others," Sister Maria said softly. "They are very like you."
She brought him to a huge room with many beds but only a few were occupied. All the children were sleeping, there were four boys and three girls.
"Here is Rebecca."
Sister Maria pointed to an African American girl with black hair.
"Nicole,"
Nicole had black hair and she looked Asian.
"Skye."
Skye was a twisting and turning on her bed she was very pretty and had light brown, curly hair.
Then Sister Maria moved on to the boys.
"Victor."
He was huge compared to Robin not in a fat way a well built and tall way.
"Garfield."
"He's really tiny compared to me and even my parents said I am very tiny myself for my age," Richard thought to himself. "My parents..."
The boy was very strange he had green skin and he was talking in his sleep.
"Oscar."
Oscar looked very nerdy he had freckles and light brown hair. On his side table there was his glasses, he was awkwardly tall even taller than Victor.
"And finally Newton," Sister Maria whispered. Newton was an albino and was quite skinny.
"You will be able to meet your new friends tomorrow but until then would like to stay here at this orphanage?" Sister Maria whispered quietly, trying not to wake up the others. "We are also a normal school you know!"
"Yes I would," Richard paused. "I don't have anywhere to go," he told himself.
"Thank you although I've never actually been to an actual school before because we would always be travelling my parents and I," Richard gulped. "My parents"
" Thank you madam...uh...uhm... I mean Sister Maria."
"Goodnight Richard."
Sister Maria whispered quietly to Sister Cecile. "Call the police tomorrow. The child may be able to give them information regarding his parent's demise.
Next morning Rebecca, Victor, Nicole and Skye woke up early and they formed a mini circle around the stranger.
"What is he?" Rebecca inquired poking Richard in his stomach.
"Duh! A boy," answered Victor.
"I was just asking," Rebecca then burst into tears.
They then moved away from Richard fearing waking him up and getting into trouble with one of the nuns.
"Did you have to say that!" Nicole scolded Victor.
"No."
"So… apologise."
"No!"
"Apologise!!"
"Okay…… ok chee calm down already. Sss… sorry Bee."
"It's okay," Rebecca replied still sniffling from her little breakdown. "I know you didn't mean it."
"Ahh!" screamed Garfield.
"Victor!" Yelled Nicole.
"What I ain't done nothin'."
"Yes you did, you just screamed." Nicole said in a doubtful voice.
"Well Miss Smarty-pants looks like you aren't that smart after all, cause I wasn't the one screaming."
"Oh no, no, no, Victor I know you, you're the kind of person who likes to get nice people like me into trouble. I'm just listening to Sister Cecile who told us to be quiet to the others who aren't early birds."
"Oh…yeah but it ain't me who screamed but actually our little sleeping beast over there!" Victor said pointing at the little, green, sleeping boy.
"Well sorry… it's just that you always get us into trouble so I just assumed" Nicole said sarcastically
A dark shadow appeared on Victor's face. He didn't like to be reminded about being a trouble maker. It was him being a trouble maker which got him into this orphanage. Although really he was only half an orphan because his father was still alive. But he was still put in this orphanage, school, church by his father because his father said he couldn't look after him. The dark shadow quickly disappeared as quickly as it appeared, "Hey you bi..."
"Beautiful, angelic, creature who I worship a lot," said a pretty young girl.
"Thank you Skye, at least someone here is nice," Nicole said sarcastically.
"Good morning," Richard yawned.
"Ahh!" All of them screamed waking up Oscar and Newton but not Garfield.
"Who are you," exclaimed all of them.
"I'm Ri…"
"Gimme one more minute Sister Cecile," moaned Garfield.
"Typical," Victor, Nicole, Skye and Rebecca all said in unison.
"Jinx," Nicole said quickly.
"Always the smart one Nicole," Victor said sarcastically.
"Hey!" Nicole said in a hurt voice.
"Sorry did I hurt you baby."
"Victor!"
"What!"
"So what's your name again?" Nicole asked.
"My name is Richard Grayson, pleased to meet you."
"Great, another polite one," Victor complained.
"It's a good thing, Victor," Skye said annoyed.
"So!"
"Anyway my name is Skye."
She extend her hand towards Richard with a smiling face, her skin was so smooth to touch.
"She's even prettier when she isn't a sleep, she had blue eyes as clear as the ocean." Richard said to himself.
"And I am Nicole."
She had the most beautiful black eyes he had ever seen. Richard blushed to an unnatural scarlet.
"Man he ain't blushin' is he? Don't tell me he's shy also."
"Victor!" Nicole and Skye said in unison
"Well… I guess we should introduce ourselves Victor." Rebecca said
"Hey isn't your turn today to wake up the sleeping beast."
"Yup." Rebecca replied putting on her famous puppy eyes.
"So ain't ya going to wake him?"
"Already have."
"Okay who's turn was it to wake me up today," Garfield said angrily with his hair dripping wet with water.
"Me!" Rebecca beamed with pride.
"Wow, the sleeping beast looks angry, what did ya do?" Victor inquired
"I threw a bucket of water on him."
"Man she got you good I got to remember this," Victor chuckled happily as Rebecca blushed scarlet.
"Hey don't be so mean to Garfield, Cyborg!" Nicole said defensively.
"Hey don't call me Cyborg." Victor said angrily his face was red.
"I'm sorry," Nicole said seriously. "I didn't mean to make you angry."
"Shouldn't we tell a little bit about ourselves to…?" Rebecca interrupted everyone trying to lighten the situation.
"Richard."
"Thank you Richard, yes shouldn't we?" Rebecca questioned everyone.
"But we don't know anything about each other either so what makes him so special that we should have to tell him about ourselves?" Queried Newton.
"Nothing is special about him it's just uh..never mind it is up to you if you want to tell everyone," Rebecca asked. "You don't have to say anything personal. I just thought I'd let him try to feel more like home and not alone"
"Well since your sooo keen to introduce yourself Rebecca," Victor said sarcastically. "You can go first.
"What!!"
"We're waitin'," said Victor teasingly.
"Okay, ok I was born in Gotham City, my family wasn't rich we owned a little second hand bookstore and I loved it. My brother hanged with the wrong crowd, doing drugs, drinking and smoking and he owed a lot of money to drug dealers. One day our little bookstore was set on fire by the drug dealers and that was the last I saw of my big brother, mother and father. A kind elderly woman found me under all the debris and took me to the hospital she looked after me for nine months and then she died. After that I was then taken here. It's no palace but it's something."
"Wow I didn't think you had suffered as much as me. I always thought you had a happy life since you were always so cheerful and happy," Nicole said sympathetically. "I was born in Japan my parents were quite rich and respected citizens. One day when I was seven I told them I wanted to be an air stewardess when I grew up. So they took me around the world, I went to South Korea, China, New Zealand, Australia, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Africa, Brazil, Mexico everywhere. And then it was time for our final destination America but my parents never landed in America alive," Nicole's eyes started watering. "We crashed in Gotham City I only managed to be alive to this day because…"
"Because of what?" Richard asked anxiously.
"The Batman," Nicole answered.
"Who is he?" Richard asked interested by the subject.
"He is Gotham City's greatest and only superhero, how come you don't know him."
"I'm not from here we used to travel around the world a lot because my parents were acrobats. They were murdered a few months ago because the circus owner didn't want to pay a sum of money to someone. I saw them die right in front of me and then I ran away and ended up here, Sister Cecile found me."
"So it's been a pretty rough for you then," Skye said sympathetically.
"I guess you could say that, all I want right now is for my parents to be alive."
"You know what that was the same thing I said when my parents died," said Skye gravely. "I was born in Metropolis. My father was an architect and my mother was a lawyer. Everything changed one day when my dad got promoted. My parents went out to celebrate and I was left with a baby sitter. My parents took forever to come back and they never did. They were murdered along with another couple."
"Skye you never told me your parents were murdered," whispered Nicole. "Otherwise I…"
"You would have treated me differently," Skye said finishing Nicole's sentence. "It's okay Nicky I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to treat me differently."
"I guess you could say I'm luckier than you guys because my parents aren't dead," Oscar interrupted. "My parents were both from really rich French families. I was a forbidden love child, they managed to keep me a secret for eight years until some rumours surfaced that I existed and I was dumped here, faraway from France."
"Wow you're French, you never told me!" Newton stared at Oscar.
"Well it's not something I like to talk about. How about you, why are you here?"
"I have been here ever since I was a baby, I grew up here. I don't know who my parents are but I know they probably dumped me here because of my scary red eyes. I hate them!" Oscar mumbled quickly. He didn't really identify which one he hated, the eyes or his parents.
"I was lucky, unlike you Newton my parents were the best parents ever, they were scientist we were a close knit family. My parents brought me up in a village in Africa because they were doing a study on African animals. Africa was cool, there were all these beautiful animals. We lived there very peacefully, but one day I caught a rare tropical disease. My parents then invented a cure but the cure was untested. I recovered but the cure left my skin green. Several years later, my parents died in a boating accident, I still feel that I could have prevented it. After the death of my parents, I was raised by King Tawaba a friend of my parents. But one day two men came for me saying that I was needed in America. The two men were actually kidnappers and they said that I was actually an heir to a large fortune and they wanted my money, but police found them and apparently they were being wanted for a string of murders. I found out that I had a grandfather. My grandfather found out about me and apparently he didn't know he had a grandson. So then I lived with him in his mansion for six months. But he died too and the court sent me here to this church, school, orphanage. And until I am sixteen I will not be able to touch the fortune my parents and grandfather left for me… How about you Cyborg, why are you here and why are you a half robot?"
"My name is Victor Stone," Victor said angrily.
"But it is a fact, you are a cyborg,' Oscar said in a professor like voice. "A Cyborg according to the dictionary is a human who has certain physiological processes aided or controlled by mechanical or electronic devices."
"My parents were scientists all they cared about was science and at times I thought I was even jealous of science. One day my mother was driving me to school then BOOM! Our car was upside down and then I blacked out. My dad apparently said I was about to die when he remembered a new experiment he and my mum had invented it was an untested cybernetic technology. My dad used it to rebuild my body with a frame of enforced molybdenum steel, special polymers and plastics. My mother though my dad tried, couldn't be saved. I was a difficult child always having to move schools when one day my dad gave up hope. He said he couldn't help me anymore"
"Victor has an IQ of 150." Rebecca said proudly.
"No I don't."
"Yes you do you told me so yourself."
"I told you I had an IQ of 170."
"Oh sorry I forgot."
"It's okay."
"Dude what do you think of Sister Cecile is she da bomb or is she da bomb. She's pretty and kind…" Garfield said starting to drool uncontrollably.
"Sorry to spoil your moment Gar but Sister Cecile is a nun and she can't get married and anyway she is wwaaaaay to old for you." Nicole said sarcastically.
"Hey no fair, oh well at least I can still dream."
"Yeah Gar you go and do you're dreaming and drooling." Nicole said playfully.
Brriiiiiiing.
"Breakfast." Sister Cecile yelled sweetly.
Everyone started to run towards the door, except for Skye.
"Richard." Skye whispered quietly.
"Yes."
"If you need a shoulder to cry on just ask me ok?"
"Uh… thanks I will."
Authors note: Okay you like REVIEW NOW! The next chapter is probably going to be about our Teen Titans girls. Will they meet? Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled for the next chappie.
Hasta Lavista.