Thanks to those of you who reviewed! I'm sorry it took so long, but I haven't been home in a while! Please review as it gives me so much more motivation for writing! Also, if you get friends to read the story and review I'll do a random pick and I'll include the winner as a major character for one chapter! Also, I do not own Teen Titans!
Ch. 4
Dick
"I…do not understand, Richard. I am sorry. I am Kori Anders, from the country of Tamaran," Kori asked, looking confused. But he could tell. He hit a nerve with his question. His felt a twinge in his stomach as she looked panicked. Her eyes flew to the left, looking around to see who was outside. She walked just a hint faster towards their bike. This wouldn't usually be anything a normal person could point out, but he could tell from training himself to tell lies. She also seemed flustered, and in normal situations, Kori probably wouldn't have those tells.
Dick ran to catch up with her, and as he was running, he noticed that the temperature had increased a lot outside. He was almost sweating now as he put his hand on her shoulder. Kori turned around and threw out a punch, but in a flash of adrenaline, he caught it in his hand. "Whoa, you can calm down, it's just me. You're supposed to be protecting me, remember?" he commented, smiling at her hoping to ease her worries, whatever they were.
Her emerald eyes widened and she backed away from him, either in fear or surprise. "Richard! I am sorry. You did the flustering of me and gave me the surprise. Please, let us just go back to the mansion now. I wish to not worry Mr. Wayne," Kori told him. Dick had half a mind to continue his questioning of her, but he could tell from her tight shoulders and her pleading eyes that it would do no good other than to cause her more panic. He nodded and they proceeded to the bike. Dick drove home on his bike and Kori said nothing as they arrived in the garage. The tightness in his stomach eased as she seemed to calm down at the house. They took off their helmets, and she retreated back to the quiet, reserved person so unlike the free woman he had seen at the club. Her face was blank as they walked back into the dark house. He couldn't help but feel she was in pain, and he had caused it, but he didn't know why.
The walked into the first sitting room where a single light was on next to Bruce's chair and guess who was sitting in it. Dick's adopted father. Dick went over to his father, who was reading a book. The book snapped closed and Bruce looked up at Dick and raised an eyebrow.
"How'd it go?" he asked, simply. Dick didn't expect this. He expected questions and accusations because they were out so late. At the very least he expected disappointment. But then again, he figured that Kori had cleared it with him before they left.
Kori walked to stand in front of Bruce and smiled slightly. "He did well. I watched him and he passed the tests I gave him. He works hard towards his goals. I will train him," she explained. Richard's eyes narrowed and he went to stand by Kori.
"Wait, this was a test? I thought you had already agreed to train me and be my bodyguard," Dick cut in. Kori looked back at him and then glanced to Bruce, who smiled slightly at the two of them.
"I asked Kori to do those things, yes, but she did not know you and I could not vouch for how hard you would work, so we decided you needed to be tested. This was a small test of how focused you could be where there were many distractions that could cause you to fail. I'm proud to say that you passed, Dick," he explained, standing up and setting his book on the coffee table. He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a beer, then looked back at Dick who was still watching his father intently. There was something strange about this whole situation. His father could have just told Dick to go to self-defense class or made Dick stay in the house or do anything. But he hired a girl to train him. Not just that, but train him in a way he would have never thought of. He could only imagine what she would do next. So what was so special about this girl? What was he missing? "Go to bed, Dick. You'll need the rest. You and Kori begin training tomorrow."
Dick knew when he was being dismissed. His father was always a businessman. He left the room and went up to his room, followed by his shadow Kori. She had a room connected to his by two doors, but she kept her side locked from him and he kept his from her. They both had a key, but it just made it less awkward to keep the door locked. He mumbled a goodnight to her and they both shut their doors. Dick slipped off his nice clothes and changed into a pair of gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He plopped down on his bed and picked up his laptop. It might be late to some people, but he always was a night owl. It was time to do some research on his body guard.
He knew very little about her, except for the fact that she came from Tamaran and knew Bruce. It wasn't much to go on, but at the very least, he could research her country. He pulled up Google and typed in Tamaran. News articles and pictures popped up instantly. He clicked on a random one and started reading. Before he knew it, he had spent over an hour reading about Tamaran. He learned a lot in that time which made him understand Kori and her hard mannerisms a bit more.
Her country was a country that had been in war for years. It had originally been a small, peaceful country. The people there were hard and disciplined people and they did not believe in being weak or nice. The people ruled by emotions and they were open about how they felt. They loved their family members, but there was no room for anything other than the necessities. They still ruled on a monarchy and had a royal family. The royal family had been in power for hundreds of years, and still had the king and queen alive and well. King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r ruled with a strong, but fair hand with three children, Komand'r, Koriand'r, and Ryand'r. That was where it got interesting. The oldest child, Komand'r, had joined the rebels fighting against the royal family, while the youngest, Ryand'r, fought with a group of freedom fighters who fought on their own for the freedom of the country and did not answer to King and Queen, but still fought for them. That was, until he went missing. The middle child, Koriand'r was missing. She had been captured by the opposing force, the Citadel as they called themselves, and was kept there for years. The Citadel stopped attacking for the years that they had her in their captivity, but recently, they resumed their attack and gossip was spread that the princess escaped.
He read until he could think no more, and even then, his mind was put into overdrive. He couldn't believe she was from a country like that. Sure she was tough, and a little reserved, but he couldn't believe that her country was in that bad of condition. No wonder Bruce brought her here. He would have to confront her about all of his new information tomorrow, but he couldn't keep his eyes open long enough to even close his laptop.
The Next Day…
"Put more force behind your punch! Don't hold back!" Kori exclaimed. Richard punched at her again, trying to put more force behind it. She dodged it easily, and threw in a light kick to his side. "You leave yourself wide open! You punch and don't think about what the other person does. You have to anticipate what the other person will do and counter it!" She stood still and waited for him. Her eyes shone with what seemed like adrenaline. He swept his feet under her, but she jumped up and kicked him in the stomach. He grunted and keeled over, protecting his stomach. She stepped back, not even having broken a sweat. They had practiced for hours, with him constantly getting hit and beaten and never getting a punch to her. Then again, the first half hour was just her throwing punches because he hadn't wanted to hit a girl. But she knew how to bring out the anger in him, because he just flung his fists towards her face. Not that it did any good, because she blocked him with ease.
"Richard, stop. We're done for the day," Kori said, stepping off the mat. Dick balled up his fists and reigned in his anger. How could such a small girl, beat him so badly?
She took a seat on the chair next to their mat. The room had originally had weights and treadmills in it, but those had been moved to the side and a blue wrestling mat had been placed in the center of the room. They sat on the side where two chairs rested with a table in between and their water bottles resting on top. Kori took a quick drink from her bottle and set it down gently. She looked calm, but he could tell she was frustrated with him. He walked over towards her, but did not sit. He stood next to the chair, still frustrated that he couldn't do anything. Dick may think that this whole 'bodyguard' thing was ridiculous, but he wanted to succeed at whatever challenge he was faced with. He would prove that he was strong enough to do it.
"You're too reckless with your body. You throw a punch but don't think ahead of that. You just go for the open spot. You need to take more time in what moves you throw. Evaluate the other person and look for an opening. Your technique is terrible. You don't know how to stand or where to put your hands. Your feet are too wide, and your hands are up to high, leaving room for an attack on your stomach. When you do something, you go to the extreme and you need to work on moderately doing things. Throw a punch and put power behind it, but don't throw your body into it and leave yourself open. Close into yourself and make yourself light and small. The faster you are, the less likely you will be able to be punched," Kori pointed out. As much as he hated it, she was right. He could remember doing all of what she said. "We're done until tomorrow. For now, you should work on building your strength and endurance. Let's go on a run, and then we'll take a break."
He couldn't believe this girl. She just fought him for hours, and yet she wasn't even tired. In fact, he thought that she was more energized than ever. Her mood seemed to be clear from the night before. Kori no longer seemed closed off, just determined. But he was too. He would get answers out of her today. There things he needed to know about her.
They stepped outside to the cool air of the morning and immediately Kori started running. The grounds outside the mansion were large and gave them a wide route to run. If they rand the perimeter, then they would get at least 2 miles out of it. The inside of the grounds were filled with trees, flowers, and ponds, mostly a getaway for one who needed some peace and quiet. The sun was bright on them, but it was not quite warm enough for his liking yet. It was still early, and the cool air had not worn off yet. He jogged after her and caught up to her within seconds. They didn't say a word as they ran along the paths. He knew what he wanted to ask her, but he just didn't know how to say it.
"Kori?" he asked simply.
"Yes, Richard?" she replied quietly, not looking in his direction.
"I read about Tamaran, about the war going on. I understand more now, but will you tell me more about it? I read about the royal family, but I don't think I quite understand everything," he said slowly. He wanted to know how she fit in, but he didn't want to pose that question up front. It was better to learn the background before learning the main picture.
She sighed and glanced at him. He stared back, not backing down. They kept running, but he noticed her actually sweating a bit. He found it odd, since it was cool out, but he ignored it. Her hands balled into fists, but that was the only sign of frustration. "The royal family is a good family. They ruled with a tough, but fair hand. I knew them personally, and I adored them. The war started when an invading force came to our country to try and take over. They had conquered many small countries before, and their latest conquest was to be Tamaran. We were ready for war, but we could not win it. We could only hold them back. It was worse when my-our princess joined them. She agreed that the royal family should no longer be in power, that her sister should not be queen of the country. The country loved their princesses and were especially hurt when one joined the Citadel."
Kori looked down at her feet as she ran, and Richard could practically feel her sadness. He felt a twinge in his stomach at her pain again but ignored it. Rain drops started to fall through the trees, and he pulled her towards the doors to the gym and back into the training area.
"It was even worse for morale when that same princess offered her sister up as a peace treaty. The remaining princess was taken by the Citadel. No one knew what happened to her or what she went through. My country went through a short reprieve from fighting, but it resumed when our princess escaped.
"I fought in the war as a soldier. I was one of the best they had, but I was compromised in one mission. As you say, short story, the mission went wrong and I was made to evacuate the country. The war rages on in my country as we speak. Neither side will stop until they succeed at their goals. It is a lost cause for either side, although I am hoping that the Citadel will not succeed in overthrowing the royal family," Kori explained. She seemed detached. But it was like she was forcing herself to be that way. Her face was blank and her body was stiff. Dick could tell there was more to the story than she was telling him, but he didn't want to push him.
They stayed silent for a minute, Dick soaking in all the information she had relayed to him. Finally, she stood up and looked towards him. "We'll continue this training tomorrow. Please continue the working out while I proceed to take a shower," Kori stated, walking towards the bathroom. He nodded and watched her go. She seemed to relax once she wasn't looking at him and he felt that he had done something wrong by bringing up her home. He was just curious and he wanted to know who was guarding him.
He took a stance by the punching bag and took his frustrations on it. After a few minutes of throwing punches, the doors to the gym busted open.
"Dude! Your place is off the hook! I mean, look at this place! It's state of the art! Please tell me you have your own personal movie theater," Gar yelled, laughing. Dick just looked at him questioningly. "Mr. Wayne called me and told me you might like some company while you are on house arrest. It's not like I could say no to him!"
Dick laughed, and was immediately glad that his father had thought to invite Gar over. His goofy self was just what Dick needed for a night. "Well, if you must know, we have a small personal movie theater. I made Bruce put it in a few years ago for my birthday present," he answered.
Gar's jaw dropped. "Seriously? Dude, if that's your birthday, then how much do you get for Christmas?" he exclaimed. Dick just laughed and they talked about everything that had happened since the last time they'd seen each other, including Gar's big race.
"Gar! I can't believe I missed it! I'm so sorry, I really wish I could have seen you whip those boys into shape!" Dick insisted.
Gar shrugged. "Dude, you were in the hospital after being poisoned. There will be other races, but there is only one of you. I mean, you scared the shit out of me," he said. His voice shook a little bit, and Dick could only imagine how traumatic it would have been to find his best friend on the floor, practically dying. It would have been a memory that anyone would want to forget. He had some of those, and even now, they pained him to think about. "Besides, it was an easy race. I mean, within the first sec-." Gar cut off, and stared behind Dick.
Dick turned around, and he completely understood Gar's silence. Kori had come out of the showers. Her red hair was down and wet, clinging to her tan skin around her face and outlining her emerald eyes. She wore running shorts and a sports bra, exposing her tan smooth stomach. She rubbed her red hair with a towel and looked up at the two boys. Her green eyes seemed to be even brighter than usual.
"Oh, hello, I am sorry, I must be intruding. My name is Kori, and I am Richard's guard of the body," she said, dropping her towel and walking towards them. She stopped short of Gar and extended her hand. Gar just stared at it with his mouth slightly open.
Richard almost smacked his forehead in embarrassment. "Kori, this is Garfield Logan, one of my very best friends," Richard told her, patting Gar on the back and knocking him out of his stupor.
He shook his head. "My friends call me Gar. Pleased to meet you," Gar replied, taking Kori's hand and bringing it to his lips. He placed a small kiss on her hand, and Dick rolled his eyes. Leave it to a pretty girl to bring out the gentleman side of Gar. Kori simply smiled at him and Dick could have sworn Gar was about to pass out, but Dick put his arm around him.
"Gar and I were just going to go to the movie theater we have in the house. You are welcome to join us," Dick told her, but she shook her head.
"No, no, I must decline your generous offer. You and Gar should, how you say, have a guy's night. I will retire to my bedroom for the night. If you shall need me, do not hesitate to retrieve me," Kori answered. She walked past them, and both his and Gar's eye's followed her all the way until the door closed behind her.
Gar turned back to Dick and his mouth was wide open. They stood in silence for a moment. "Dude. She's like…and totally…woah," Gar said.
"Just as smart as ever," Dick laughed. He made no move to comment on Gar's actual words. It wasn't like he thought that stuff about Kori….much. He tried not to, anyways. Those thoughts did not do well for his sanity when he was around her. He shook his head. He wouldn't think about her like that. He couldn't.
Being with Gar was exactly what Dick needed. A friend who could make him forget he had almost died and now he was on lockdown. They watched a movie and made fun of all the bad graphics. They ate junk food and acted like a couple of teenagers. Dick felt normal for once since he had come to live with Bruce. It was a good change, and it brought him back to earth. It reminded him of where he came from and that he was just like everybody else.
At about 3 in the morning, they made their way to Dick's room, laughing and joking. Walking by Kori's room, they heard her yelling. Her door was slightly cracked open and Dick couldn't help it. He wanted to know what was going on. He brought his finger to his lips in a signal to be quiet and Gar nodded. They stood next to the doorway and Dick peeked inside.
Kori was pacing around her room, her hand brought up to her face. She clutched a cell phone, and looked as if she were about to break it. Her face was turned into anger. Her eyes seemed to be a darker emerald green than usual and her hair seemed to be on fire. She came closer to the door and Dick leaned back around so he couldn't be seen. Her words were louder now and he could hear her clearly.
"No! Father, I will not come back! The longer I am the 'missing' from the action, the more that I have to represent to the people. The more they have to fight for. I will come back only when I am once again needed, and I am not needed as of now. I am doing the fulfilling of our debt. You may call me when you have real news of why I am needed!" Kori screamed into the phone. He peaked in and saw her slam her phone down on the bed. She seemed to be seething anger, but as she paced around the room, she leaned up against the wall and tears streamed down her face.
Dick backed up before he could see any more. He wasn't supposed to see her like that. So…vulnerable. His head hurt from her anger and his heart hurt from her obvious pain. He couldn't get it out of his mind and he didn't understand what had happened. But now that he had seen her vulnerable…he wanted to know why.
