Author's Note: Chapter 4! The pen-ultimate chapter of 'The Call: Part 2!'
Azlarok Tolkien: I'm glad you're still enjoying the story, even if you are a Rob/Rav fan. Ha.
/
Chapter 4
'The Gathering Storm'
/
Raven thought she had everything under control. She felt supremely confident that with her two friend's support, she'd be able to keep her empathy fully under control.
That line of thinking lasted until they'd entered in the city proper.
The sudden hurricane of emotions engulfed her at ease mind as they arrived, blurring her vision with the tears of pain they caused. She felt everything all at once. A couple making love on their second anniversary… a child's elation at his third birthday party… a broken man trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol, thinking about the gun in his closet… a teen girl's heart-break as her boyfriend dumped her via text message…
"Raven?"
Dick's voice had broken through the maelstrom using their mental connection. She focused on that, using it as a lifeline to pull her from the stormy seas of Jump City's emotions.
"Raven, are you alright?" His worried face came into focus. He was being carried by Gar's pterodactyl form and looking at her.
She wiped her eyes and nodded. "I'm fine. How close are we?"
"We're nearly there." Dick pointed at an abandoned warehouse. "That's where we're going."
After crossing the final short distance, they landed on the concrete, mercifully empty of pedestrians and fans. Gar quickly shifted back to his human form while Dick opened a secret compartment in the wall. A row of blinking buttons was revealed. He typed in a quick password and another secret compartment opened, this one with some sort of scanner.
"Step forward for retinal scan." A cool female voice stated. As Dick stepped up, Gar puzzled.
"Haven't I heard that computer's voice before?" He asked.
Dick said nothing as the machine scanned his eye, beeped a positive note, and disappeared into the wall. "You may have. It was programmed by one of my exes."
"Which one?"
"The one with the pointy ears."
"Sounds like my kind of woman." Gar said, grinning.
Dick shook his head as a full door revealed itself. "Relax, they were just part of her costume."
"Oh."
"And besides, aren't you the one that's all gung-ho about rescuing your girlfriend?"
At the mention of Terra, Gar became all business. "You're right. Let's go." He started into the building.
Dick started to follow, but looked back on a hunch.
Raven was standing motionless, staring off into the distance.
He crossed around her, looking into her face. Her eyes were darting this way and that, like the eyes of a frightened rabbit surrounded by legions of hungry predators. He found himself wishing he could go into her mind, to hear what she was hearing. Only then could he possibly comprehend what was going on behind those terrified eyes. But he couldn't. He could only offer a helping hand in the physical world. "Raven?" He asked.
Her eyes focused on him.
"Let's go. It'll be harder to hear them once we're inside."
Her teeth chattering now from the onslaught, she forced a nod. "Alright. Let's go."
Together, they followed Gar into the darkness of the warehouse. They found him not too far ahead, staring at a solid brick wall blocking his path. "What's the matter?" Dick asked.
Gar looked at him, then back at the wall. "Oh, I'm sorry. I hadn't realized you'd gained the ability to move through walls now."
"Move over." Dick said, pushing him out of the way. "It's the third brick from the top, second to the left." Following his own instructions, Dick pushed in the correct brick. The wall instantly slid to the left, revealing a long passage leading into darkness. The distant drip of water echoed from somewhere deep within.
"Real cheery digs, Dick." Gar muttered.
"I like it."
Raven's voice had startled them both and they turned to find her looking much better than she'd been before.
"Feeling any better?" Dick asked.
She offered a smile. "There's something in the walls that makes it harder to hear everything. Even the emotions. What is it?"
"It's a special composite form of the Nth metal found in Thanagarian tech. A gift from one of the Dark Knight's pals in the League."
Gar looked impressed. "I guess little Robin's moving up in the world, huh?"
Dick turned back to the passage. "Trust me, you ain't seen nothing yet." He paused dramatically before speaking. "Computer, lights on."
The passage was suddenly filled with a piercing light that nearly blinded Gar and Raven. It cleared almost as fast as it had appeared, leaving their vision full of floating orbs of color.
"…the hell was that?" Gar asked, rubbing his eyes.
"The final security measure. In case someone ever tried to gain unauthorized access to the lab."
"What, you blind them temporarily? What does that accomplish?"
"You'll see. Er… I mean… Never-mind. You'll understand in a few minutes. Just follow me and stay close."
Their vision still quite blurry, Gar and Raven inched towards the yawning chasm of darkness before them.
"I can't see anything…" Raven muttered under her breath.
"Here." Gar grasped her hand in his.
"No, wait…" Too late. Another storm of emotions welled up inside her all of a sudden at his touch. For the first time in years, she remembered her hidden feeling for the young hero, the nights she'd tossed and turned in her bed, dreaming of his gentle touch. Her empathy reached out for his emotions, looking for some confirmation that her lost feelings of love were not in vain…
…and found only visions of Terra. Terra in her school-girl uniform, Terra fighting Mumbo Jumbo, Terra singing her heart out, Terra gloriously nude and begging for the touch she herself had always searched for…
Raven pulled back in a rush, desperate to get away from the emotions and pulling away from Gar's hand… and nearly plunged over a cliff that seemed to materialize from nowhere. The floor left her feet in an instant, and she didn't even have the time to even think about flying. She tried to cry out, but another hand grabbed hers and pulled her to safety.
"What was that?" She asked, pulling her hand from Dick's before more emotions could attack her.
"Here, I'll show you." Dick said from the darkness. "Computer, access code; Kori'andar."
The computer chirped in response and the lights began to rise gently, allowing their eyes to adjust and revealing a massive and seemingly bottomless pit just below the thin walk-way. Gar and Raven both recoiled from the edges as soon as they saw the trap clearly.
Gar chuckled. "Okay, I have to admit, that's pretty good." He looked at Dick. "But what kind of gibberish was that password?"
Dick ignored him. He made sure Raven was alright before he started down the path. "This way."
As Gar and Raven followed, Gar stared at his friend's back. "Was it something I said?"
Raven shook her head. "You lived with her for three years and she never told you?"
"Told me what?"
"The password is Tameranian. It's Star's birth name."
Gar froze momentarily before continuing. 'Wonder why she never told me.' A thought occurred to him. "Wait a second. I figured she'd tell Dick, but how do you know?"
Raven put on a mischievous smirk he rarely saw. "I read her mind awhile back."
Gar smiled. "Without her permission? You have a devious side we don't know about, don't you?"
Raven kept walking. "Oh, you have no idea."
/
Star finished telling her story to the Timms and looked at the floor. "I know you entrusted your step-daughter's safety to us, and we failed you. But rest assured, we will not rest until she is safe again."
Mr. Timm looked at his book. "I've been reading Lovecraft for my entire life, and it never occurred to me once that it all might be true…" He tossed it aside and looked at Star. "You're absolutely sure she's alive?"
Star nodded. "Blood has no reason to harm her… at the present time. But we will get her back before he does anything."
Mrs. Timm folded her hands in her lap. "Maybe… maybe we should call the police."
Star shook her head. "Ma'am, with all due respect, this is far beyond the police's abilities."
"And all respect to you as well, Ms. Star, but it seems beyond your abilities as well."
Ouch. That one hurt. Still, Star carried on. "Yes, we made a mistake. But we intend to rectify that mistake. Involving the police would just give Blood more attempts for blood-shed. The only resistance to his mind control is being a meta-human or not of this world."
Mr. Timm stood suddenly and began to pace the room. "This is absolutely intolerable. This is all happening because that little green punk started sniffing around my little girl again, and…"
Fury bubbled up through Star despite her efforts to keep calm and she cut him off in mid-sentence. "That 'little green punk's' name is Garfield Logan, and not only is he one of my best friends, not only has he saved this city more times than I can count, but he also cares very much for your step-daughter."
Mr. Timm rounded on her. "I couldn't care less if he was a member of the freaking JUSTICE LEAGUE!" Mrs. Timm visibly winced as her husband's voice rose. "The point stands that none of this started happening until he started harassing her!"
Star's voice began to rise with his. "He was never harassing her! Gar has always been there your daughter, even longer than you have!"
"EVIDENTLY NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP HER SAFE FROM SOME… SOME… SUPER-POWERED PSYCHO!"
"HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE HE HAD JUST BEEN STABBED IN THE BACK TRYING TO FIGHT OFF BLOOD!"
"THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHY TEENAGERS LIKE YOU SHOULDN'T BE ENTRUSTED WITH THE PROTECTION OF A SINGLE GIRL, LET ALONE PROTECTION OF AN ENTIRE CITY!"
"HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU…!"
"ENOUGH!"
Both Star and Mr. Timm turned to face the very red and crying Mrs. Timm. Mr. Timm's face was a vision of rage, to the point where there looked to be smoke coming from his ears. Star's energy had activated without her noticing, her eyes blazing and her hands thrumming with power.
"Enough of this! None of this is going to get her back." She took a deep breath and turned to Star. "Do you honestly believe you can get her back safe?"
Star took a deep breath of her own and powered down. She met Mrs. Timm's eyes and swallowed the last of her fury. "You have my word."
Mr. Timm snorted and turned away.
Star ignored him and talked instead to the floor. "Mr. Timm, I don't understand why, but I know that you have no faith in me or in my friends. But even so, I'd like to ask you to listen to me just once more, and then I'll leave."
Mr. Timm stood still a moment, then finally returned to his chair.
Star swallowed deep, traveling back to one of her least favorite memories. "Do you remember the day one my team-mates, one of my friends, Cyborg died?"
The Timms nodded in unison.
"His real name was Vic Stone, and he, like most of us, had family that was left behind. The next day, just before the funeral, I had a visit to make. I traveled to Central City to meet Cyborg's father. He hadn't talked to his son in years. He didn't even know that Vic was in Jump City. When I brought Vic up, he acted non-chalant, like he couldn't even remember his own son clearly. They hadn't been the best of terms ever since Vic's mother had died. When I finally told him that Vic was dead, he changed in an instant. All the color ran from his face and he fell to his knees, begging to know why God had chosen to do something like this. He cried that Vic was innocent, that the sins were his own. He begged me to take it back, to claim it was all one sick practical joke. Soon, he wasn't even making recognizable words anymore. All that came from his mouth were the lamentations of a man who would never have the chance to make peace with his only son. Watching that display, I made a vow to myself that I would never deliver that kind of news ever again."
As Star finished, the Timms sat in silence. Even Mrs. Timm's tears had stopped for the moment. She looked at Star and asked a single question. "Do you believe in God, Miss Star?"
Star nodded. "On my planet, we worship X'hal, the Goddess of Creation. It was she that fought the forces of evil from Tameran and gave us the gift of evolution. Within a few generations, we were no longer in the forms of felines, but in our current forms. From my studies, your 'God' is essentially the same thing."
Mrs. Timm smiled gently. "Pretty much." She sniffled again. "I'm no devout follower of any religion, but I don't believe that He would give us the light of our lives just to take her away from us so soon." She stood and took Star's hand in her own. "And I believe He will use you as the instrument to bring her back to us."
Not knowing what to say, Star just clutched Mrs. Timm's hand tightly. When Mrs. Timm had backed off, Star faced Mr. Timm one final time. "Mr. Timm, when we return, I have no doubt that Gar will continue to see your daughter. Please hear me when I say that you would be doing yourself a great disservice if you did not get to know him."
Mr. Timm said nothing, just averted his eyes.
Her task done, Star headed for the door, looked one last time at the wall of photographs, and headed outside. As she headed down the sidewalk to the street, she spared one final look at the pristine house where Terra had found so much happiness… and then took to the skies, heading for the wharf.
Her own words echoed in her mind. 'You have my word….'
/
The Jump City wharf was a bustle of activity as Slade climbed out of the taxi. He breathed in the salty sea air as he quickly paid the driver and made for the docks. "Beautiful day." He said to himself, noting the way the sun glinted off the waves and the sea-gulls swooped overhead. He was getting near the age when most men retired. Perhaps after this was all over, he could set sail for Africa again, live the peaceful life like he'd had once upon a time. Maybe even Madeline and Joseph would…
"A happy prospect, to be sure. An' if you want to achieve it, then don't be settin' sail today, my friend. You won't be makin' it back alive."
The voice, a Haitian inflection of some kind, caught Slade off guard and threw off his train of thought. He turned towards it's source and noted the man standing before him.
Slade guessed the man to be in his late forties, but he still appeared to be in excellent shape and only a few inches shorter than Slade himself. His skin was so dark that calling it black would be an under-statement. He seemed to be made from the shadows themselves, all except for his shocking green eyes that seemed to glow, even in the sun-light, from the darkness of his face. He was dressed in a drab black suit that was definitely showing it's age, with matching dress shoes and an old-fashioned top hat. A necklace of what appeared to be animal bones dangled from his neck. In his left hand he carried a suitcase, and his right clutched the head of a mini-skull-topped cane.
"Well, that's a hell of a greeting. Just get into town?" Slade asked, indicating the suitcase.
The man nodded, smiling and revealing a blast of white teeth.
Slade inched closer. "What do you mean we won't come back alive?"
"You misheard me, Slade Wilson. It is you dat won't be coming back alive. You and only you."
Slade began to feel perturbed. "Who are you, exactly? And how do you know my name?"
The man's smile grew wider. "I know all about you, Slade Wilson. You and I going to do terrible things together, but first you got to die."
Slade grasped the man's coat in his hands, lifting him clear off the ground. The suitcase hit the boards with a dull THUNK. Something in the suitcase almost seemed to hiss. "Listen, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but…"
"Believe what you will, Slade Wilson. Believe what you will, but allow me tell you what's in store for your little friends…"
Slade shook him. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Hear me now!" The man's voice suddenly became much deeper and his eyes seemed to catch fire. Slade nearly dropped him from hearing the shocking change in his tone of voice. "Though you will not survive 'dis journey, Slade Wilson, those that you aid shall. This voyage shall mean death for you… but life for two. With the passing of da Beast's Day, da Red and da Black shall attempt to steal dat life in da name of revenge. In dare desperation, dey will loose the Sins of Man, but dey too shall fail. In a final gambit, day will open the gates of Hell itself and unleash it's frozen denizens on da heroes of da world. Still, day will lose. With dis defeat, da Red and da Black shall be vanquished at last…" The man's eyes twinkled beneath his top hat. "…and it will be Houngan's turn. Houngan will not fail. Houngan will win, da heroes will fall, and da world of da living and da dead will, at last, be as one. And you, Slade Wilson, you will help him ta do it."
Slade listened until he was sure he was finished, then shoved the man away roughly. "You're crazy." He said simply, then walked away. The man's prophecy had shaken him greatly, but he hid it well. He strolled confidently for the nearest boat and called down the owner, ready to make a purchase and prepare for departure. He didn't even spare the strange man a second look.
The man watched all this with cool in-difference, then fixed his hat, retrieved his bag, and started to head for the city. His cane clacked on the boards with each step he took, reminding him of the ceremonial drums he loved so much. "People don't believe that Houngan can see da future… but soon day all undastand. Day undastand when Houngan takes dare souls…"
/
When the trio finally reached the end of the entrance passage, both Gar and Raven stared around in shock.
"This is your lab?" Gar asked, unbelievingly.
Dick nodded. "It suited my needs."
"But, dude… the memories in this place…"
None of them could ever forget the large chamber they were standing in now. Most of the gears and bigger pieces of machinery had been removed, but the lay-out remained the same. Dick had only added a cot to sleep on, some lab tables, and a large computer. Newly installed high-powered lights illuminated the area, but in some corners a distinct orange glow could still be seen.
"After everything," Raven said. "You ended up using one of Slade's old lairs."
Dick shrugged and made for one of the tables. He busied himself with various bits of metal until he found a computer chip about the size of a dime. He placed it on a flat surface on the computer's terminal and pressed a button. There was a brief laser flash and a beep as the chip activated. He picked it up and showed it to the other two. "This chip nullifies Blood's mind control in regular humans. Me and Vic designed it for the guards in Steel City's jail."
"That's cool, but where does it go?" Gar asked.
Dick returned to the table and began to search once again. "It goes under the skin on the nape of the neck, just next to the brain stem. Under ideal conditions, it takes a simple surgery." He found what he was looking for and showed it to them; a strange gun of some kind. "But these aren't ideal conditions. So, instead, one of you has to shoot it into me."
Without missing a beat, Gar raised his hand. "I'll do it!"
Raven turned on him. "Gar!"
"What?"
Raven started to say something, but changed her mind and turned away. "Never mind."
Dick loaded the chip into the weapon barrel and handed it to Gar. "Right in the nape, okay?"
"Refresh my memory; the nape is in the ass, right?"
Robin bristled as Gar laughed. "Can we joke later?"
Gar choked down the laughter and put the barrel at the point where his head connected with his neck. "Ready?"
Dick inhaled, then nodded.
Gar pulled the trigger and felt the gun kick as the chip was lodged under Dick's skin. He waited for the howl of pain, but it never came. "You okay?" he asked, lowering the gun and observing the tiny hole in Dick's neck.
Dick reached back a hand and felt the circle-shaped indention in his flesh. "Huh, I thought that would hurt more." The task completed, Dick moved to the other side of the lab and began to strip off his uniform.
As Dick's shirt hit the floor, Gar raised an eye-brow. "You want us to leave, maybe?"
Against her better judgment, Raven cast her eyes sideways quickly to catch a glance at the young hero's toned body. She caught herself looking and turned away.
"No, you're fine."
"Tell me something I don't know."
Dick finished doffing the old uniform, keeping the mask on, and reached for the new one. "You know, I've been looking for a reason to try this on. Alfred had it delivered just last week."
"What is it? New outfit?" Gar tried to look at it. "New colors? Purple and yellow perhaps?"
Dick shook his head. "When I went back to Gotham, I found out that my mentor had given the mantle of Robin to somebody else. He's a good kid, but this world doesn't need two Robins. So, I had Alfred design this for me."
Raven noted all the black as Dick started pulling on the pieces. "Where'd you get the design?"
Dick pulled on the boots, then the gloves. "Whenever Star got thrown into the future with Warp, she said that I'd taken on a new persona. Later on, she went into details about it and even showed me what my costume looked like." Quick as a flash, he removed the old mask and placed on a new one, completing the outfit. "I gave those sketches she drew to Alfred, and he made it exactly as she said it was."
He turned, and both Gar and Raven's jaws dropped.
The suit was a made of a hyper-tough, yet extremely durable material that clung to his body better than his old uniform. It was completely black, save a simple drawing of a blue bird on the chest, it's wings outstretched. The mask was differently shaped than the old one and had deliberately frayed edges. To complete the ensemble, he snapped on a dark blue utility belt, the same color as the bird.
Regaining his voice, Gar spoke. "So, does this new costume come with a new name?"
Dick smiled grimly. "Of course it does. Call me… Nightwing."
/
David returned to the apartment just four hours after departure to find Blood packing up his syringes.
Blood watched him enter and stood straight. "Any problems?"
Silently, David shook his head.
"Good." Blood stooped once more and brushed the hair from the drugged Terra's eyes. "Alright, little one. It's time to go."
/
Author's Note: I know I'm about the millionth person to have Dick become Nightwing in their story, but I make no excuses. It had to be done.
This chapter took awhile to complete. I had just started the last part when I realized I hadn't mentioned Slade, so I wrote in the bit on the docks.
On that note, some of you will recognize Houngan as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil from the comics. In the comics, Houngan has no supernatural powers, but I'm messing around with that. His prophecy, along with the mentions of a secret group of super-villains and the character of David, are a sign of things to come post 'The Call.'
Until next time, remember; a little review never hurt anybody.
