an: wow, most reviewed chapter last week. You guys took that bullet to heart. Due to the crazy amount of reviews the story was going to end in two chapters but if it's alright with you guys I think we shall add a twist. Keep reviewing unless you're ready for it to end. End an.
(ROB POV)
Guns around the circus, common; secretive but common. Guns around Gotham, expected; typical and very expected. Guns around Jump City, rare; possible yet rare.
I spent my childhood in the circus first, guns were kept hidden for means of defense. We lived in tents, my father had two just to keep us safe. Then I grew up in Gotham where every man, woman and occasional child held a gun and regularly used it. But now here in Jump City, they were kept to the few, shady, back alley ways. We mostly dealt with meta humans and older men who pretended to be meta humans like Dr. Light, Control Freak and Slade. Nothing like the twisted ways of Gotham.
So when Biggest Fan pulled one from his jacket it was a shock to us all but I was the only one quick enough to act. So when it was turned down and pointed straight at Beastboy's slithering snake head, whose body still kept the man's feet ensnared, I had to act. I abandoned the cuff as the trigger was pulled and as my body dropped onto the snake. I felt the piercing fire hit my suited chest before I heard the gunpowder itself explode.
I had been shot before. Alfred was very insistent upon kevlar built into the cape and body piece of our every suit. It was annoying and painful if not worn correctly.
Bruce and I each complained about it every chance we got, yet in times like these we were more than grateful; Grateful, merely bruised, and a possible cracked rib based on the amount of time it was taking for my lungs to take their first inhale after getting the wind shot out of them.
Then just like that, everything came alive again. My eyes could focus, my body gasping for air as the pain seared deeper into my body, my ears exploded in noises that had momentarily been shut out, and the smell of gunpowder lingered up from my suit. I saw Cyborg wrestling the gun away from him while Beastboy spread his snake like body further into capturing the shooters body in an unmovable binding.
Then I noticed Raven and Starfire followed by...by Sylvia?... Racing to my aid. I needed to recover, something was wrong and our plan was failing. Now not only was my team in greater danger but also an innocent, Amber Alert, civilian child who didn't know what a stable home was suppose to feel like.
My lungs worked enough for air and for another few moments air alone. I wanted so badly to scream at someone to press the stupid button but with the bullet still dug into my chest's kevlar I couldn't make my command known as events continued to unfold around me.
I watched as Cyborg fought to keep his gunned hand pinned to the ground where the gun was useless pointed at no one. Raven was now on her knees beside me checking for blood and a wound, not yet realizing I was bullet proof as she kept telling me to breathe. Starfire was between me and Biggest Fan defending us with her body as she took orders from Raven. She gently was cradling my head in her lap as she kneeled.
Breathing finally as Raven removed the bullet I took my first real deep breath of air.
"Get the cuff!" Was my first sentence but before anyone could think once about my words clinks were heard as Sylvia and Starfire's cuffs hit the cement ground. We looked up in shock seeing the small girl had done it. Her father, in such dismay, dropped the gun which Cyborg kicked away.
"I'm fine," I explained but Raven and Starfire forces me to lie still. "Get her away from him," I ordered.
Biggest Fan reached for her but grasped at air as Beastboy, in gorilla form, now held her tightly amongst his fur.
"It's over Biggest Fan," Cyborg sighed in relief as we all watched the man scream in dismay.
My brow wasn't the only one that furrowed in confusion as the man began kicking and screaming as if throwing a child's tantrum on the ground.
"It can't end like this. It was meant to be forever! My perfect plan! No!...No!" He screamed over and over. His hands and feet flailing about the air as his fit raged on.
"Have some dignity man," Cyborg stood back shaking his head but the comment in itself seemed to shake him from his tantrum as he froze.
"Oh but I do," he snickered launching himself to Starfire with her cuff in his hand.
"No!" I screamed sitting up and grabbing at her wrist closest to him right as he closed it around her wrist and my one pointer finger.
I don't know if he noticed I was trapped as well but if he did it apparently didn't matter as suddenly we were both in a tree sitting on a branch.
"Robin?" Starfire asked as she clutched onto me with her free arm. However as the world shimmered around us I blinked to now be sitting on top of Titans Tower.
"Starfire," I answered using my free hand to clutch my sore ribs.
"My powers," she began but it was broken up as we were again transported to a darkened concrete room that appeared to be an under ground jail cell from what we could see with a tiny crack of light from above us.
"Starfire don't move too much. I don't want my finger coming out of the cuff. If he keeps teleporting us we need to be together." I explained as we were moved again but this time wherever we were was so dark I couldn't see my own hand in front of my face.
"Robin, you're shot." Starfire's worried voice expressed as her free hand held gently to my shoulder.
"I had on armor. I'm not bleeding, just sore." I explained not wanting her to worry.
"Robin, where are we?" She asked me as the dark room felt chilled and very small.
"I'm not sure, can you use a starbolt?" I asked trying to test my torso with small twists.
"I tried to tell you as we were teleporting. When the cuff was resealed my powers were again removed. Robin... I have nothing," her voice trembled as it desperately tried to come across as strong.
"It'll be okay." I insisted giving her arm around me a squeeze. "We will figure this out," i insisted as we again teleported.
This time as the world around us became clear again we were outside this time in the middle of the woods.
"See," I tried to keep her calm. "This is already looking better." I smirked as our next forced teleportation placed us in a cage yet we were still outdoors.
"Hey, stay calm. You aren't a captive here." I explained looking for an exit. I knew her past enslavement made her uneasy with forced restraints and cages.
"Uhh Robin...that is but the least of our concerns." Her very soft whisper replied. I turned my head to see she was face to face with a sleeping tiger. Unfortunately for us this one wasn't green and on our side.
I slowly pulled Starfire and myself to standing as we stared at the sleeping feline and slowly backed away.
"Look mom! It's Robin and Starfire!" A child's voice exclaimed. Looking up I saw people peering down on us.
"The zoo," I sighed as its eyes slowly slit open. "Just great. Anytime!" I begged our teleportation luck as I pulled Starfire with me as fast as I could. The roar we received in response as it suddenly lunged from its comfortable position, left us no time to escape, had a new teleportation destination not greeted us again.
Sighing in relief we both sunk to our butts with Starfire in between my legs and her back against my chest so my finger wouldn't separate from her cuffed wrist. Both on our left, her wrist and my finger.
"Now where are we?" I wondered aloud. From what I could feel we were in a crate. A crate big enough to stand up in and that was about it.
"What's that sound?" She asked me as we both listened to the water crashing around us and I could feel us swaying.
"I think we may be on a boat," I concluded. My ribs were still aching but I would be fine. Nothing felt cracked and I could still inhale fully meaning nothing had hit a lung either. So being trapped with my girlfriend, after searching for her freedom so much, didn't seem as bad as the past week has been.
"Starfire," I stated as she stayed very stiff no matter how much I coaxed her into relaxing against me. "It's okay. We will get out of here. Just try and relax. You can lean on me. I won't break," I tried to make a small joke. But she wasn't laughing and wasn't moving an inch from sitting straight up in complete avoidance of my torso.
"Star, " I sighed using my hand, not cuffed to her, to place my hand on her shoulder. "If in a few minutes the teleportation has stopped then I'm going to get some tools from my belt and we are going to get free." I explained as I leaned back against the crate so that I wouldn't engage any chest muscles for a moment.
I stayed there, my hand on her shoulder and my body propped up by the wooden crate that was rocking due to some form of water waiting. Waiting on her. Yet, not a movement came. Not a movement, not a word, nothing happened. And that alone was the worst outcome in any situation. An emotionally drained, platonic, frozen Starfire.
"Starfire," I tried again from my spot. "Star?" I whispered trailing my hand down her arm and forcing her to feel skin contact as I gently stroked her arm. I had to force her to feel something, anything.
"Please talk to me, anything. It's me. I'm really here." I hid my hiss as I engaged my muscles to sit up and scoot tightly around her so I could lean forwards onto her back, my legs touching hers. My chest trying to relax on her back while my head fit in the crook of her neck, my finger cuffed to her wrist and my other stroking her arm up and down. "Don't leave me," I whispered.
"Robin," she sighed. "This will not last. We are his captive once more and you only by a finger. When he brings us back it shall not be a difficult feat to remove you. I have no powers and no means to save any of our friends. My only hope is that Sylvia escaped and shall be spared. I shall separate us and fight him alone." She sounded determined not broken.
"Starfire you listen to me! This is not over," I stated firmly. "This is not your cage and this is not how it will end. The Titans will beat this. We have beaten far worse!"
"At what cost?" She finally at least had an emotion, as she turned to meet my eyes. "At what cost will this all end? This is because of me! You have been shot! Beastboy almost died because of me! I cannot allow such harm to come to those I love merely for myself. I cannot allow it." She was firm.
"You have never been fought for Starfire. In your life you have always been given up on. So when this is over and everything is back to normal you will have a new understanding of team work, friendship and family. Starfire you are a part of our family. We are all we have." I explained seeing some emotions begin sparkling back to her eyes as they glistened.
"You asked me at what cost? In Japan it was my freedom. I was a fugitive and brought you all down with me to clear my name! Raven's father? That was the entire world! Jump city was frozen by his power and surrounded by lava all for just Raven! We were almost all destroyed." I saw realization hit her.
"But,"
"For Beastboy," I interrupted. "It was every Titan on the planet, some frozen by The Brain. I was one of them. All because of his past with the Doom Patrol. For Cyborg it was almost an entire civilization when he was sent back in time. You matter!" I stated in all seriousness.
"Robin come in, is Starfire with you?" Cyborg's voice came through my coms device. I took my free hand and rummaged through my belt to get it.
"Robin here, yeah we are still cuffed together but only by my finger. What's happening there?" I asked my chest still screaming at me.
"We have Sylvia but Biggest Fan escaped." Came the reply I didn't want to hear as I slammed my fist into the crated wall.
"So we are stuck until he wants to teleport us again?!" I snapped causing Starfire to flinch.
"No, I can link to you two telepathically and bring you back. We have a plan." Raven interrupted any further fits of rage. "Besides I need to see what damage that bullet did. Now hold still. I'm sensing this is going to be a tight fit." She calmly explained.
I quit waiting for her to just do it as I wrapped my arm around Starfire's waist and pulled her into me so we were tighter together.
"Robin your" she fretted.
"It's for Raven." I winked before grazing her cheek with my lips for a soft peck. "I'm fine," I added to reassure her concerns. We didn't have to wait long before a shriek echoed in the small crate and we were back in Titans tower. Without the crate behind me my muscles screamed from holding my weight up as I fell backwards accidentally pulling Starfire with me. Her weight affected nothing, engaging my own muscles made me want to pull my own teeth out.
"Robin!" Starfire's alarmed cry rang as she rolled off me.
"I'm fine, it's not you. It just hurts to use the muscles." I tried explaining with a grunt as Raven's cooling powers met my burning chest and Starfire moved to give Raven space. "Stay close! Don't you dare pull my finger out of this cuff." I barked my order harsher than I intended to order it.
"Calm down," Cyborg tried to coax me as he began to scan the cuff with his arm reader. A blue light began scanning it horizontal than perpendicular, switching back and forth.
I felt the tightness of my chest ease and my lungs expand without difficulty as Raven finished up. I didn't know how long we had before we would be whisked away.
"We need a plan," I stated as Raven's hands pulled away and I nodded my thanks. The doors swished open and closed as Beastboy rejoined the group.
"She cried herself to sleep." He answered before anyone asked. "You okay, Star?"
"I am well. Robin is the one who needed medical attention." She sighed.
"I had Kevlar. It just bruised a few ribs. I'm fine." I tried to ease the building tension.
"Thanks, back there I would have been done for..." Beast Boy's eyes met mine and I nodded in response.
"What's the plan then?" Raven cut to the point. "We don't know how long we have before you two get teleported away."
"Sylvia is safe, that's a third of our problem solved." Beast Boy started.
"Getting you two free and taking down Biggest Fan is the other two thirds," Cyborg finished.
"Robin has been injured. Must it be the two of us? I cannot escape captivity yet he can." Starfire tried.
"I'm not leaving you and don't say it again! You have no powers and he isn't afraid to kill!" My voice began to rise. "IF YOU THINK I AM LEAVING YOU ALONE WITH THIS FREAK!" I snapped.
"She gets it, calm down." Raven stopped me.
"Look man, we are running out of time. We need a plan. Starfire and Robin are staying together. How can we use that to take down Biggest Fan?" Cyborg got right to the point. "If we take him down, they get free."
"We use the girl as bait." Raven stated. "It's a fake threat that will keep You two safe."
"He will see through it," I scoffed.
"Then sell it," Raven was firm while Cyborg began placing trackers on both Starfire and I.
"Get me Sylvia's picture. Photoshop it. Make it look believable and send it to my communicator," I ordered Raven as I pulled Starfire into me so we weren't so strained apart.
"Beast Boy should stay with the girl. We cannot allow someone so small and innocent to fall further into such turmoil." Starfire looked at him, not me. She knew he would protect the girl.
"I promise," he nodded in response.
"Good, now Cy" I began speaking but with a slight shimmer I found myself face to face with our captor.
"You can understand that I'm angry," his voice was cold and his face inches from mine his breath lingered around me smelling of stale alcohol.
In one arm sweep I had Starfire behind me and my other hand readily armed with a birdarang. I could hear a soft snarl from her. She was itching to take him down as was I.
"You can understand that I don't care," I was sharper than steel.
"Where. Is. My. Daughter?" His nostrils flared.
"Incarcerated, she was part of a scheme to kidnap a Titan who was assaulted. She will be dealt with." I was trying to form a plan and fast. I would have killed for three more minutes in the tower with my team and his laughter told me my attempts were as pathetic as I thought they were. But I had to sell it now.
"Incarcerated? Anything else you want to lie about? Besides Starfire deserved it." It took every fiber of my being not to lose it on him.
Stick with the plan, I reminded myself as I tried to add finishing touches.
"Yes incarcerated. My Titans are sick of this game. You don't abduct one of us and get away with it. Before we were whisked away your daughter had gotten a few knocks herself. Someone has to take the fall for this and no matter how much she," I pointed accusingly at Starfire, "fought us and begged us not too, Sylvia is suffering and will suffer more if this continues." I warned wondering why my communicator hadn't gone off yet with that photo.
"ROBIN!" Starfire's cry took my attention from my communicator to Biggest Fan's raised fist. My arm behind me kept Starfire out of the way as I kicked Biggest Fan in the stomach, forcing him back a few steps. I wanted his anger on me so Starfire could maintain his trust, as much trust as she could. It would help us later...I hoped.
"Try to keep his anger on me. Convince him you are still th girl's mother." I hissed at Starfire before pushing her behind me further, leaving me with only one arm to defend us.
"Starfire fought for your daughter. She tried to stop us," I watched his temper rise. "She stopped me after I hit her and Sylvia cried." I lied, taunting his furry. "But because you took her powers away there was nothing she could do to stop me."
"Robin, please. No," Starfire's plead was for my safety. She was afraid what he would do to me and I, afraid what he would do to her. She had no powers and could be thrown about like a rag doll. I would fight him until she was free and to do that I needed his anger directed at me so once we had that picture we could convince him only she was on his side.
"LIES!" He screamed throwing a right hook for my chin. I pulled Starfire down with me making sure it hit nothing but air before I slid my right leg around and kicked his feet out from under him; with an angry bellow and heavy frump he went down.
Where was that stupid photoshopped photo. I needed proof. Yet what I got instead, what we got instead were jolts of electricity sending us to our knees in pain. I pulled her into my chest wishing I could take this from her but with that cuff I had no way to do that. I had over stepped, not anticipated his anger to lash out in ways I could not protect ourselves.
"MY SYLVIA!" He continued to scream as the jolts continued to rattle our very teeth. I watched a tear slide down the side of Starfire's cheek as I pulled her in tighter as we both groaned and screamed in pain.
Where was that stupid picture?!
"She can save your daughter!" I screamed through clenched teeth and just like that, the pain stopped.
"HOW?!" He roared dragging Starfire up to standing by the arm and making her wince in pain.
"Every time you hurt her Raven feels it and the Titans will hurt your daughter more." I threatened watching his mind tick in confusion at the thought.
"Please," Starfire's voice sounded exhausted but anger still remained. "Please let me help her. Let me save Sylvia."
Yet when she was sent crumpling back into my arms as a solid punch hit her square in the face.
"Lies!" He screamed hitting the electric jolts on the wristband again, dropping both of us to our knees: Seeing her face, her hair messily spread over it, her eyes scrunched from just getting punched, her shrieks growing weaker... I lost it.
I can't wait for the picture anymore.
I threw three birdarangs in under a second successfully stopping his finger from holding onto the button causing electricity to shoot through every muscle in our bodies.
"GAH!" I screamed, pulling Starfire in my arms then flipping closer to Biggest Fan and successfully holding her to my chest while barrel kicking him in the shoulder.
"You won't" Biggest Fan turned murderous eyes back to face me but I didn't give him the chance to say more before I continued to flip and kick to keep him from messing with his cuff anymore. With a weakened Starfire in my arms connected to me by our wrists I continued my advancement without the use of my arms.
Drop, sweep legs, kick while down, flip. Oh avoid a rolling angry man. Can't let him cause Starfire more pain. Jump, flip, sweep, kick to the gut and down he goes again.
The previous electricity to my own muscles was beginning to take its own toll on me and I was starting to sweat and breathe heavier.
"Robin, we cannot. You cannot," Starfire reached her free hand up to stroke my cheek. "You are weakened."
"We need that picture," I grumbled kicking his hand from reaching his cuff. "Some kind of evidence. Until we can have Cyborg release the cuffs via Biggest Fan's downloaded computer files. Without first activating that pushing the red button won't free us," I whispered to her.
"I'm going to kill you both!" He panted. Starfire jumped from my arms to try and kick his arm which Made him stumble backwards shearing as he clutched his biceps. "Pathetic!" He laughed reaching for the button.
Now! Now my communication device buzzed with an incoming message. But before I could check it volts brought us both to the floor gasping just to breathe.
"FOR SYLVIA!" He screamed. I saw Starfire reach for my coms. I wasn't even sure how she mustered the strength after all she had been through. After just this electricity I couldn't even move. But she managed to fumble with my belt until it fell out.
"Ppplease. Look," she gasped flipping it open and sliding it towards his feet as he towered over our twitching, electrified bodies. "I...I can stop it." She managed to breathe so softly I wasn't even sure Biggest Fam heard her until the pain stopped.
I glanced over at my communicator and saw a very believable and battered up little girl and Biggest Fan crumpling to his knees beside it.
"My...my baby. You were suppose to protect her!" He sobbed, slapping Starfire across the face. I found the strength to wrap my arm around her quivering waist and pulling her light body into my chest.
"I tried..." She took a moment to breathe. "You teleported me here. I tried to tell you," she felt so cold.
"Teleport us back and no more harm will come to your daughter. Then we will offer a trade, our freedom for your daughter." I offered and was so proud of the girl in my arms as she played her part perfectly.
"No not our freedom. I am to act as the girl's mother. " she allowed herself to sob but I could see the furry in her eyes, the clutched fist of her free hand. When this cuff was off she would regret everything he had done.
"That's the deal!" I snapped with as much strength as I could muster due to my weakened muscles. "Take it...or leave it. Tomorrow at noon, the abandoned warehouse off West Heights." I hissed trying desperately to suppress a cough. His face looked torn between concern and furry as we watched him consider the offer.
"Save her," he told Starfire. I couldn't tell if it was a plea or demand but I didn't have to think about it for long before we were back on the living room floor of our tower, her body tucked tightly into mine.
"Robin!"
"Star!"
"Dudes!" Our team all exclaimed at once and I couldn't suppress my lungs need to cough any longer and once I coughed I couldn't stop.
"Electricity. Please Raven...help him." Starfire begged as I couldn't find a moment to inhale. I felt Raven's cooling hands open my lungs and I was finally able to inhale cold air.
"I can't replace the taxed energy back into the muscles but you're human and the electricity burned your lungs badly. I healed them but I can't do much more." Raven explained as Starfire and I remained curled into the floor just breathing and sore.
"What now? How did you guys make it back?" Beastboy asked.
"I'll start the process to release the cuff so we only have to hit the red button again. Then I'll release Starfire's powers again." Cyborg interrupted and turned for a nearby computer.
"We made him think you were hurting Sylvia. Starfire convinced him she could protect her. I said we would trade our freedom for Sylvia." I explained still not wanting to move a single muscle and it seemed like Starfire felt the same way.
"Doing okay?" I whispered.
"Yes, I just cannot heal much without my powers and the sun. But I am well." She sounded tired but brave as always.
"Almost done Star," I tried to encourage.
"We cannot let him take Sylvia."
"I promised I would free you both and I will. Sylvia is free and to ensure it, Biggest Fan must be apprehended. That just leaves you and like it or not we are stuck together until you are free too. You aren't alone."
"Okay the cuff is active and ready for the red button to be pressed," Cyborg interrupted our whispers. "Now how about some powers?" He asked kneeling down to work on the wrist band. It was attached to the one I had currently tucked over her stomach and holding her against me.
"When is this trade?" Beast Boy questioned.
"Noon tomorrow," Starfire answered. "And he shall do the paying for his crimes. I am no slave and no father should ever treat his daughter as one either."
an: so I'm not great at action scenes but I hope I did okay. I'm practicing. Any advice so I can improve on them? Review if we are for the twist unless we are ready to end the story.