Sorry for the delay. Family complications
Chapter 11
It's a truth that in love and war,
Worlds collide and hearts get broken,
I want to live like I know I'm dying,
Take up my cross, not be afraid
Batman set the coordinates, "Flash, Green Arrow, make sure everything is set. Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern are launching soon."
"Man hunter and Aqua?"
"On duty."
"While we sit here and steer, gotcha!" Flash flexed his fingers, twisting in his seat as he scooted closer to the computer panel. "Wow, investigating Venus! This is so cool."
Wonder Woman glared at him, "Under these circumstances, this is anything but. Do not make me regret choosing you as my eyes."
"Women never regret me, beautiful."
She raised her hand and he flashed out of his seat and across the room, "Enough," Batman droned as he turned to pass out ear pieces to the heroes going off as they adjusted their space suits and sat in their pods of the ship. "Diana, you choose Barry, you stick with him; Green Lantern has Green Arrow, it's final. You three are to keep in contact at all times and to report any unusual sightings, findings and data. Refrain from engaging with whoever's up there; if it's who we think it is, we don't want to bring them back here. This is a covert investigation. Do not get caught."
"O ye, of little faith," Superman said sarcastically, strapping the seat belts and turning on Diana's ship, feeling it purr beneath him. He looked over at the owner seeing her proud, satisfactory smirk.
Green Lantern cleared his throat, "You're sure whoever it is they're not going to detect us?"
"Galfore sent us Tamaranian technology that will bypass any radars and security codes. Also with the ship's invisibility and the suits that camouflages us as well it should be a fairly uncomplicated passage," Superman looked up. "How is he by the way?"
"The spread of the disease is slowing." Batman looked at him, "I promised we would search for…even if it's futile."
He nodded, turning to Diana, "Donna?"
"The team."
"She knows, doesn't she?"
Diana sighed, "She knows enough and to keep quiet. She can piece things together effortlessly. Maybe, if we don't find…she'll fill the hole?"
As the pod closed and the dock prepared for launch, Batman stoically looked at her, "One cannot fill a hole that doesn't want to be filled."
He stepped back as the wall came down to separate them from the harshness of space as the dock fully opened and the ship took off.
xxx
Donna fidgeted on the couch, her nervousness creeping at its peak as their stares didn't waver. She held back the urge to avoid their eyes and look around the room in excitement at finally being in the titan tower. It was a lot bigger than she had originally believed and certainly didn't resemble a giant T on the inside. When she first came in she all but squealed in enthusiasm until a black band of power smacked on her mouth and a pink ray made her trip into a sitting position on the couch.
Now here she was waiting as they continued to stare on. Back at the school the titans helped the police clear the area, reassuring parents and teens to go on about their day and they would handle everything. Donna patiently waited as they interrogated the gunmen, the three boys spitting vile things at them and Nightwing finally making one cry. When they turned around and saw that she was still there they had huddled and spoke lowly and Donna caught sight of a little girl standing just behind the leader of the titans, staring at her with wide green eyes. Donna had recognized the girl from under the table and moved to approach, but as soon as she took the step Nightwing had three birdarangs flying at her and when she jumped back, his voice was low, "What did I say."
"I only wanted to apologize."
He was unconvinced, but when the girl nodded, "its okay," his shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit. Why he was so protective of this normal human girl, Donna didn't know, but such a fierce securing helped her see the malign leader in different light. After a few more minutes of talking amongst themselves, Raven brought up two shadows, the little girl going through one and the titans through the other. The half demon had stared at Donna before waving her over and stepping through and she hastily followed. And is still waiting; She fidgeted again.
"Full name."
She blinked at Cyborg, his words registering, "D-Donna Troy."
"Species."
"Amazon."
"Affiliations."
"Justice League."
Kid Flash's eyes widened and he stepped forward, "Do you know-"
"Barry? Yes," she smiled warmly. Kid Flash sputtered and his expression became suspicious and she quickly explained, "I've known him since I was a child; I know all their names" She looked around the titans, "And yours. You're Garfield, Victor, Wally, Rachel and," Donna turned to Nightwing, "Ri-"
"Don't ever say my name!" he snarled, his fist tight at his sides, his shoulders tensing, "Ever!"
She shrunk back and stared widely at him, "I'm sorry, I was just-"
"It's okay, Donna, you didn't know," Cyborg said, casting a glare at Nightwing. "So, you're related to the Amazon Princess…I'm guessing you have her powers too?"
"Yes, but I'm more limited than she is."
Wally shook his head, "Wow, Wonder Woman's sister…"
Donna looked down, "Actually, I am adopted. Wonder Woman rescued me from an apartment building fire. I was orphaned. Since she couldn't find my parents or family, Diana took me with her to Paradise Island, and I was raised as her sister. I was given the Amazonian power by the purple ray and trained alongside Diana. She gave me the name Donna Troy. She is my everything."
When Donna looked up she was surprised by the sympathy in their eyes- all except for Nightwing. That had to be the closest emotion to nice that they have shown her so far and she realized it was because they understood where she was coming from. It comforted Donna to know that she wasn't the only one with a broken past. She didn't really remember her past before the fire; Diana was her beginning. "I spent hours training amongst the best warriors and spent years fighting by Diana. I am experienced and skilled, and I had hoped to qualify for the titans, which brings me to why I'm here." Donna stood, "I understand that this is probably an unfavorable time to approach this, but I have been waiting to join the team for years and it has been a dream of mine to fight alongside you all." Her hands clasped together, "I know of your loss…and I am dreadfully sorry. I do not look to replace her; I never want to do that and my intention is not to change the foundations that she has no doubt placed here, but, maybe… I can help. I can be of great assistance if given the chance."
The titans watched her, their faces carefully masked.
She took another breath, "I understand that you all are still grieving and are possibly unwillingly to accept a new member, but please I ask that you reconsider. Let me prove myself to you all and the network. Over the years I watched you all grow and fight and I admire the strength between the teams and I hope that someday I would be a part of that. Please, consider."
The minutes ticked on.
And she waited.
Sweat started to form on her brow, then-
Finally!
Cyborg was the first to change. His face became softer and kind, an inviting expression that reminded her of a older brother. Donna's never seen such an expression and it warmed her to see it now, especially from him. Changeling's was a bit more on the cautious side, but he offered a smile nonetheless and Kid Flash grinned. Cyborg stepped forward, "It will take time. We're sure you will be a fine asset to the network, but unfortunately there are no open slot right now and we don't know of any teams that are looking for a member. There will be a lot of paper work to file and record, including your former guardian's consent and there is the trouble of looking for a team to place you on for the time being. The team process is the one to take longest and possibly will change for several months as we have to find one that you work well with and get along. The network has been established for a several years now and everyone is settled. We have to test your abilities and run you through training before sending you out, so if you don't mind waiting-"
"I don't mind!" she said hastily, her excitement bubbling in her stomach, "That's fine! Time isn't an issue and Diana knows all the protocols; I've been informed!"
"In that case, we'll get started. Jinx here holds her own team and Kid Flash is her right hand. They can take you in until everything's processed and we can get you situated."
Her hands clasped together and she nervously shuffled her feet. Her fingers started to twist and she didn't take notice of the titan leader's, who had refrained from speaking since the misuse of his name, face slightly pinched as he remembered a similar habit. "I was hoping, with your permission, that I could remain here, with the head team."
Donna wasn't sure what she expected their reaction might be, but seeing Wally grin at the approved expression on Victor and Garfield warmed her heart.
"No."
The three boys and Donna gawked at Raven. Jinx stood at her side, hip cocked, arms crossed with a suspicious glare directed at Donna. "Babe..." Changeling said softly.
Raven scowled at him, "I'm not telling her she can't join the network- she can be a valuable titan -but she is not staying here. She can go with Jinx, or Bee, but she is-"
"Staying." Nightwing said with finality. Raven and Jinx looked widely at him as he walked up to Donna and stood in front of her. She felt her heart stutter from the close distance as she took her first real look at him. He was handsome, insanely so, with his tall, muscular stature and chiseled jaw. His face, hardened by loss, was manly and his lips held whispers of sweet kisses once given long ago. The black abyss of his hair fell slightly in his forehead, his black mask giving him an air of mystery and danger. But Donna's seen Dick Grayson- on TV, in magazines, once as children but he didn't remember for he was with Wally across the dance floor -and knew exactly the beauty that lay in his eyes beneath the mask. A cold, suffering beauty.
When he spoke, his voice was devoid of emotion and held no room for questioning. "Not permanently, but for the time being. We need to test the skills you think you have. You are to obey our rules and my orders, in the tower and on missions. Any disobedience or conflict will result in the immediate termination of your admission into the titans. Am I understood."
It wasn't a question. "Yes."
He turned to a flabbergasted Raven and the others, "Objections?"
The titans shook their heads and Raven glared. "Good." He walked passed Donna and left without another word.
xxx
"Do you think I can run that fast?"
"I'm not sure."
"But that Tamaranian tech is what's boosting the ship's speed. Hmm, I wonder. Forty million kilometers in seventy hours... I can beat that! Hey Batman, think I can beat that?" Flash called away from the speaker.
Diana closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Barry has been excitingly expressing his fascination with the speed of the ship since they took off seventy hours ago. His jokes, taunts and pick-up lines had all ran out, replaced by his nonstop curiosity. Diana almost missed his flirting.
Superman chuckled and she glared, "Hey, you picked him."
She was fixing to retaliate when an alert sounded from the ship of an incoming object. "Approaching Venus," Green Lantern said as Diana slowed the ship. "Entering atmosphere."
"Tracing transmission signal. Locating." Superman looked carefully at the console in front of him.
Wonder Woman looked out her pod at the red planet below. It was beautiful, an exotic desert of reds and orange, but from the way the ship shook slightly and the tint of the windows turned blue, she knew that it was scorching. The three heroes were the only ones on this operation that could withstand this heat, their suits specially designed to give them more protection. Whoever was here were heat resilient as well.
The planet was such a pretty red...
"Diana?"
She looked back at her radar, a red dot appearing at the far end of it. "Location locked. Sending coordinates."
Barry was quiet. "Are you okay? I called you twice."
Clark and Hal looked at her as she shook her head. "Just thinking."
"About?"
The deep red called to her, "I sense something. A presence. Almost...Amazonian."
"Donna?" Superman asked, remembering that the sisters had an empathetic ability between them.
She gripped the steering handles, "No. Target ahead."
The three heroes watched as a space station of some sort appeared in the distance. It consisted of three separate bases, one with two floors, the other three. Satellite-like contraptions occupied the three roof tops, each with an ominous red light in the middle. As they flew closer they saw at the center of the stations was a large chrome sphere, electricity sparking over and under it, following taut wires that disappeared in the station. On top the sphere was an antennae that, as they got closer, turned blue and they saw the sun's ultraviolet rays being extracted, electricity flowing over the sphere.
Superman scanned the base and reviewed the blueprints that came up, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"A satellite ray sucking up the sun and a weird ball thingy conducting it into electricity? No, I don't see it."
"Barry," Dianna snapped, easing the ship around. "We need to find an opening and spot to put the ship."
Superman nodded toward the smallest station with the two floors and Diana steered over. Landing in the shadow of the base, they pressed their emblems on their suits and their image camouflaged into the objects around them. They quickly exited, locking the ship and setting it on defensive mode. Flying to the second floor they snuck into the window and looked around the strange room, nothing human or Earthly about it with the strange symbols and technology. Superman went to what looked like a computer, extended a cord from his metal wrist band and attaching it to the screen. His suit's band blinked blue when it collected the data and he nodded as Diana opened the door.
Superman pointed to the door at the end of the hall, looking at the hologram that popped up from his wrist, "Over there are the science labs. And down this direction," he nodded to their right, "Is where that ray is located."
"I'll take the ray." She flew down the corridor.
"Diana?" Barry said uneasily. "Be careful."
She smiled and opened the door.
xxx
Donna was miserable. The past three days started at dawn and ending at dusk with vigorous training in between and nonstop hostility (from Raven). They made her run, pushing her stamina and her arms ached from weight lifting, Cyborg adding more and more every session. They put her in a room to enhance gravity and she fought to fly to the red dot on the ceiling. She was fighting a lot to keep up, especially when they simulated missions that she had to complete in the training room.
Changeling and Cyborg were kind to her and she found great comfort in Cyborg's presence, often spending the most time with him. But Nightwing and Raven stayed at a distance, Raven with a glare and Nightwing out of little interest. It honestly hurt her feelings when she would walk in the room and if either of them were there, they would leave. She supposed Nightwing wasn't really mean her, per say, as she was an outsider and trying to impress him. He didn't ignore her outright like Raven did, giving her passing nods and going over her training eighth her so she can improve. Nightwing was just a distant person, and she could accept that.
Raven, on the other hand, was another story as she would go out of her way to glare and ignore her existence. Though, Donna was willing to bet it was her fault when she remembered the time she had lost her way to her room her first night here and came across a door with two names and adorable doodles. Donna was mesmerized by the sight and the silliness of it as she put her hand on the name that stood out above the rest, feeling the deep joy that it held. Her hand was suddenly encased in black as she was flung back against the opposite wall and four glowing red eyes bore into hers. She dropped her to the floor and disappeared, giving her resentful glares from then on.
Despite trying to talk to her, Donna made no progress. So she decided to make dinner the third night as a thank you for taking her in. Wally and Jinx even came over, Jinx following Raven and ignoring her. They had all been surprised by the familiar smell filling the tower and when they all came to the kitchen Donna greeted them in a pink and white apron she found along with the stacks of cooking books in the cabinet. She had been surprised to see them gathering dust and found a recipe surrounded by little pink hearts and a few extra ingredients elegantly written on the side. But when the titans eyes fell on her and the food they did not return her smile as they paled.
Nightwing turned and walked away and Wally quickly followed, hastily closing the door. Raven disappeared in her cloak, but Changeling strangely didn't follow her as his face became vacant as he stared at the place she was just in. Cyborg was the only one to walk forward and take the plate, giving her a small, somber smile and whispered thanks before he said something about eating in his room. Jinx was furious as she got in her face once he was gone and her eyes flashed pink, the aprons knots untying. She harshly tugged it off and spat in Donna's face "You will never be Starfire!" before hurrying to Raven.
Donna was horrified. She didn't know, she had no intention of that! She had to apologize. Later that night after tossing and turning for hours she finally got up and made her way to Raven and Changeling's room, glancing at the doodled door along the way.
They have to know
They did. This affects them more than anyone else and the League had no right to keep it a secret, going as far as placing a false body and a detection scanner at the grave. She knew because she hacked into the files with Diana's password. Donna sighed and moved to knock.
Thud.
Her eyes snapped up. Thunder boomed across the sky and she tried to knock again-
Thud.
Donna stepped back, her head cocked as she listened intently. Then she flew down the hall and up to the roof.
xxx
"I'm not dancing."
"So you will dance with the paid girls at your father's events and not with your girlfriend?"
"I'd rather do other stuff with you."
She laughed and her voice cascaded around him as her long crimson hair a waterfall over her shoulders. Her hands grabbed his as she brought him closer and he sighed at her warmth. "Dance with me," she whispered, coming so close to his lips. He leaned in toward her, her cheek against his as they swirled and dipped, her smile shining brightly.
Then she jerked to a stop and her smile faltered. Her green eyes glistened wetly at him, "Rich..."
Dick froze.
The warmth, it was fading. Her body grew cold as she started to shiver and shake and his hands tried to grab at her, "No! Don't go! Stay with me, please!"
She started to cough and her skin paled as the first splat of blood landed on her hand. She backed away from him, coughing more blood. Dick lunged for her and tried to keep her against as he yelled, "Hang on, please! Don't leave me! Don't leave me again!"
Her green eyes started to glow and her coughing turned into vicious growls. Those claw-like fingers swiped at his face and he fell at her feet as she clutched his throat. "Please, fight it, you can do it, please."
She was suddenly under him, struggling for breath as he furiously tried to stop the bleeding. She writhed and screamed and he felt tears on his cheeks as he bent in close, "Don't leave me, please don't leave me, Starfire!"
But she wasn't listening as she continued to fade. He screamed at her, begging and clinging, but she wasn't hearing him as the light started to fade from her eyes and her hands started to slip from his. He fell to his knees, desperately trying to hold on as all the warmth that ever existed in him disappeared with ever fade of her. "NO! Please! I can't go on without you! Please!"
Starfire's color started to pale and she stared vacantly at him and he recognized his own expression on her face. He shook his head wildly, seeing the same hollowness that had overtook him for the past few years, hating every inch of it on her. He could see his emtiness in her eyes and his body shook with terror and disbelief.
Then her hand started to let go and she pushed him away. He grabbed her savagely refusing to let go but was powerless against her strength as she peeled off his fingers from her skin and stepped away, a cruel look in her eyes as they blamed him for her death. She hated him. He didnt save her. He killed her and she hated him. Her eyes rejected his pain and love as they blinked out and left him alone in this hell that refused to release its hold.
Dick stared at the floor beneath him, his hands cold and wet with something sticky.
Her body was gone. Black all around him. Cold.
He was sitting in a puddle of blood.
"Rich..."
Dick gasped and shot up in bed. His body was drenched in sweat as he heaved and panted, his heart drumming in his breast. He clutched at the mattress, the sheets spilled on the floor, and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt wetness on his lashes. A giant thump rested in his throat and shivers rocked his body.
At a flash of lightening, Dick jumped and cringed at the sound of thunder. It reverberated deep within his body like it always did now. Thunderstorms were his greatest enemy, as it had been for the past three years.
Three...
Cold.
"No," he whispered, shaking his head as he hunched over the bed. Don't remember her that way; remember her happy and smiling, warm. Remember her laugh and her uniqueness, her innocence and kindness, remember...
She reached for him, "Please! Don't leave m-"
Lightening.
Dick had his uniform on before the thunder. If he couldn't sleep, he'll work; it'll keep his mind away from-
"Have I told you I love you this morning?"
He slipped on his gloves and grabbed his sticks. Looking around his room that he spent the last three years in, he felt that disoriented feeling like he didn't belong here, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't go back in there, not when everything still had her scent. Then again, it's been so long since he last tried. Maybe it would be gone, maybe the walls would be faded and dark and lost that special feeling inside. Perhaps this will rid him of this hollowness and relieve some of the torure. It had too. He walked out of his room and slowly over to that one, his eyes taking in the fading doodles.
I love you Richard!
Nightwing blinked. He placed his hand on the cold metal, gritting his teeth and punched in the code. The door swished open.
It was just as they left it, save for the slight rumpling of the bed from when Raven had the clothes on it. The black vanity table was covered in bottled of lotions and creams, a red hairbrush, clips and a small bottle of pink nail polish. A pair of his boots were still thrown in the corner next to her tidy pair of silver one. He caught sight of a crumpled pile of clothes, their clothes, still at the side of the bed from their last night together. Silky's old sleeping mat lay at the foot of the bed on the floor and the door to the restroom was open and he could see a small tub of hair gel sitting on the counter next to her many female products. The mirror reflected back at him with a painful lurch of the stomach her bathrobe on the floor where she dropped it to climb in the shower with him. A faint fruity smell drifted into his lungs. He could see her perfectly, knowing exactly how she would look sitting at that vanity table, combing her hair or in the restroom brushing her teeth or lying in bed, her head hanging off. He could hear her giggling softly by the closest, feel her brush against him as she rushed into the room and that scent hit him with a punch. He could see it all too clearly, and his heart raced as he waited for her to come out of the restroom, her eyes bright and smiling.
It didn't happen.
He sucked in a breath.
"...will you marry me...?"
Pain. Too much. Get out of here, get out!
"...I want to be yours..."
Get Out!
Nightwing choked and leaped out of the room, slammed the door closed as he leaned heavily against it. He slid to the floor, an outcry clawing its way up and trying to force itself out of his mouth as he saw her, whole and alive, walking down the hall toward him, her hand extending, but as she drifted closer she faded and he squeezed his eyes, refusing to see more. His skin became cold and damp with sweat. Thunder boomed across the sky and Nightwing was suddenly filled with the urgent need to shout at something, anything. Just to scream and shake in anger and let everything out. Donna in her robe came to mind; he wanted so bad just to lose it right there. Wally had stayed outside his door as he wouldn't open in, lost in memory.
He rushed to the roof, pushing his shoulder against the door, forcing his body through. Rain drizzled on him as he walked swiftly to edge, slipping in haste and landing on his knee. Standing back up, he was filled with anger and stomped hard on the ground. Why was here? There's no point. The sky was a mixture of black and blue, flashing bright grey as lightening cracked over.
"...do you think you'll ever get over thunder...?"
His throat closed.
"...because I like being your safe haven..."
His knees gave out.
Haven; what a strange word. And to describe him. He let her suffer, allowed evil to come and consume and tear her apart. Her blood screamed from his hands.
Nightwing sat at the edge for a long while, letting the rain soak in. He stayed there well after the storm passed, not moving or feeling, not thinking; not realizing that Donna was behind him.
She had rushed up and almost fell to the ground at seeing him on his knees at the edge, sitting there in the rain. She waited till the rain was gone and then slowly flew up. When he didn't move she sat next to him, keeping a respectable distance between them. Hugging her knees, she whispered, "I'm sorry."
He looked like he didn't even hear her. The sky held his gaze, his mouth that hard line. She took another breath and looked down, "I didn't know it was hers. I didn't mean to- I should've never... I was just trying to do something for you all. I'm so sorry."
Nothing. Donna looked back at him and though he didn't speak he at least turned his face toward her, that mask hiding his eyes. "I never want to replace her, I couldn't if I tried. No one can. I only want to help and be the best titan I can and know you all and-"
"Donna," he said, his voice barely audible. Though at the sound of her name coming from him had her heart fluttering and her cheeks tinge pink. "It's alright. You didn't know. It...just... You are an experienced fighter; you push your limits and you get the job done and that is an essential quality for a titan. But this...companionship you are seeking...those take time."
She nodded. "Cyborg and Changeling have been very kind to me and I like them very much. But I don't think Raven will ever give me the time of day. I'm trying so hard. She hates me."
His face resembled that of a sympathetic expression. "Raven is a hard person to get through." He looked over the city. "When we first became a team, she was the most distant; nothing any of us would do could get her to smile or come out. For a while we gave up on trying to be friends."
"Except her." Donna breathed.
He nodded, "She got to Raven and kept her close and because of her, we spent time together. Over the years they were closer and closer and she always knew that we needed each other. She was the glue. She got Raven to do things no other person could whether it be the mall or movies or simple girl time, whatever...and Raven fell in love with her, just as we all did. They were sisters, joined at the hip. She would protect Raven in a way we didn't. One time," his shoulders relaxed and his voice lost its rough edge, "they were out and we're guessing some stupid girl said something to Raven about how she looked and it honestly hurt Raven; she was a downer than usual. She wouldn't listen to any of us when we told her she was beautiful and started comparing herself to...from their hair to their color choices until Star had enough and went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and chopped her hair off to the neck."
Donna's mouth dropped open, not only from the fact that he said her name, but the small smile that appeared when he did. "We were all as shocked as she held up her hair and said, 'there. Now I have your hair and I love it.' Raven had hugged her longer than she's ever done. The next few missions we went on were so easy because the bad guys were so chocked at her new hair."
That small smile spread, a quick flash in memory and his handsome face took her breath away. When the smile started to disappear she held fast, "Did she really love it?"
His lips widened over his teeth and he cough of what sounded like a chuckle, "Uh, no. No way. Right after the hug Raven left to meditate and Star finally realized what she did. She held up her hair and started to hyperventilate and almost fainted! She kept repeated 'Oh, no' and 'my hair' and glared at us because we couldn't stop laughing! But when Raven came back she tried so hard to act like she did."
Donna giggled, "Did you like it?"
"At first; it was cute...but then my hands lost their playing buddy during playtime," he smirked as Donna ew'd loudly. "It grew back fast and she tried to be all nonchalant about it, but when we were alone she would make me promise to never let her cut it again. I missed that long hair just as bad." His voice quieted and that line was back, "She had beautiful hair."
The loss in his voice made her feel strange things and suddenly she wanted to see that smile again. "Nightwing...what was she like?"
Immediantly his expression softened in a way Donna had never seen before. "She was the most amazing, kind, nurturing person I have ever met. Everyone says I'm the one that brought the titans together, but that's not true at all. It wasn't me and the team knows it too. It was Starfire," her name came out in a tone full of love and adoration and the relief in his face at saying her name was overwhelming. He looked at Donna and smiled gently, "You see, seven years ago, I had left Gotham to find my own way. I came here and one night while I took out a crook I saw something fall from the sky. When I ran out into the street I saw her bonded and angry, attacking everything around her. And that's when I met the others..."
Donna listened intently with deep fascination as he relayed that day to her, his face filling with life and remembrance. He would smile unconsciously and his hands even became motivated as he told her of their first years. He laughed at her blush when he told her of their first kiss, second when they became a couple and even entrusted her with the detail of his engagement. He told her of their past missions and the different enemies they have fought. He was so engrossed in telling her of the titans and Starfire that they sat there for hours and she smiled whenever a ghost of a laugh escaped. It was wonderful seeing him like this and she was struck with a question. When was the last time he had someone to really talk to? You can't really talk to someone who is sharing the same or similar pain. It just adds on.
Now, seeing that relief in his smile and his shoulders relaxed as he recalled his lost love to a stranger who wanted to listen, fill her with joy. When the sun started to show he sighed, "I need to visit Victoria."
"You are close," Donna said, remembering the story of Starfire saving the girl and Nightwing's protectiveness.
"I'd do anything for her. I'm sorry, by the way, about attacking you that day. The shooting scared me and when she screamed I saw you over her and I-"
"Apology accepted." She tried to smile, but yawned.
He looked at her, "I kept you up all night."
She lifted her head from her knee, "It's fine. I liked talking to you. I haven't stayed up like this in a long time."
He smiled gently, "I'm use to all nighters."
"Batman?"
"Yeah, we use to stay up all night and sleep during the day. It's how I was before the titans... how is my father? I haven't heard from him in months. Usually he calls for...stuff and last time I tried to make contact he all but yelled at me." He looked at Donna with a suspicious interest. "What's keeping him so busy?"
She quickly looked away. One of the downfalls of being Wonder Woman's sister and having a lasso of truth is you're, well, truthful. Donna cleared her throat. "They have a mission that's been in progress for years now...top secret. Really important. Your father's the head of it."
Nightwing nodded, "Makes sense, I guess. I thought he was ignoring me and so I tried to put a virus in his stuff." He smirked at her astonished face, "It's a game between us. Haven't done it in a while, but when I tried the computer sounded an alert and there was this file that I couldn't get into what's so ever. I found it weird that he would protect something so...much." he shrugged. Donna felt her hand sweat when he frowned. "When he saw it, he called me right away and he seemed almost...nervous. he kept barking at me if I saw anything."
"Did you?" She almost squeaked.
Nightwing looked at her from the corner of his eye, his mind already calculating. "No. I was just trying to play the game. Must be really important." He looked back at the sun and leaned back on his hands. "'Ghost.' Strange choice for a name of a mission. Know anything about it?"
"Why?"
"A worried son is asking."
Donna's heart stuttered. "It's...top secret. No one but the Leaguers assigned are allowed to know or participate."
"That's not what I asked."
Tell him! her conscious shouted, but how could she? Didn't you see that smile! He loves her, still, after these past years, after death! It broke him and if this mission proves fail, it will break him more, beyond recover.
But what if...Donna bit her lips and shook her head, "I'm not supposed to tell..."
That confused him and his interest spiked even more, expanding greater than simple worry. It was obvious Bruce was keeping something from him or he wouldn't have called in that panic manner, or as panic as Batman would get. Because of what happened, Nightwing didn't have the strength or curiosity to dig deeper. But now it's in his center attention and the talk with Donna helped immensely. Star's curiosity would've been at its peak right now...and so is his. What was his father hiding? And why did it leave such a deep ache in his chest? "Donna...?"
Suddenly the silver buckle of her belt started to blink an alarming red as did her silver star earrings. Donna froze and looked down at herself. "What's wrong?" Nightwing asked.
"It's a distress signal that Diana implanted on me in case I ever need help. She never sounds it..." her face became pale and she jumped up, "I have to go."
"Where?"
Donna looked up, "Watch tower."
xxx
Wait, it's just about to break, it's more than I can take,
Everything's about to change,
I feel it in my veins; it's not going away,
Everything's about to change.
Diana flew down the hall, memorizing the doors' symbols along the way. This place was a giant maze and she didn't like how the dark halls twisted and curved around. Several times did she come to dead ends and had to round back, frustratingly looking at her copy of the blueprints in the hologram, but could never study it; the camera-like devices on the ceiling in the corners gave her suspicion and she struggled to find a blind spot. Diana hasn't come across any aliens and the strange humming that echoed throughout the halls had her to believe there was more to this place than what they originally thought. Which, by the way, was what? What did they expect coming here and were they fully prepared? She didn't understand these feelings of doubt and knew her conjectures were absurd; there was no reason to feel particularly tense. Donna was usually the one to always become anxious and apprehensive; perhaps she was reaching Diana through their empathetic ability? But no, that wasn't right, for this feeling was strong and she soon found herself following the halls where it was stronger. She could've sworn she saw that symbol just now.
"Diana you're going in circles."
"Something's here," she whispered to Flash, her eyes scanning the darkened corridor. A faint blue pulsed to her right and she turned.
"Superman and Green Lantern were able to find the headquarters. They obtained information about the sphere. It's a generator, one of many and it's connected to three main cables that extend throughout the stations. It's fueled on the sun's energy."
"What is it generating?"
"That's what they couldn't get. Someone was walking in and they had to leave. They're trying to find another controller." She heard typing in the background and a consistent beeping as she stopped in front of the door with the blue light and peeked in, "There's an unknown section, enclosed, around you and it's emitted a powerful signal."
"Because it's the second generator." She said lowly, looking into the large room and seeing the a large, but smaller than the other, sphere with electricity rolling off it, a giant wire connected to the top and twisting out into the ceiling and out. Four figures were standing around it, all in dark suits, each one with two long tails swishing behind them; in the far corner was a large desk with what she recognized a computer with those strange digits on it. Two more figures stood before it, touching the wide screen as the digits changed. "And I see the control panel."
"Can you get it?"
"Risky. Six extraterrestrials inside. Engage?"
Flash said something away from the speaker and came back again, "No. Move on. We don't know what their generating and we don't want to blow the cover. Find the other one."
"Why wait? Why not take this whole place down right now and force the truth out of them?"
"And if it's a trap?"
She flew away from the door and back to where she originally came from, "We could take them. Put on a suit and run over here to help."
"Think I can make it!?"
"No," she turned the corner and quickly span back as two of the aliens came out of an elevator. They had blue suits on, their pale green skin sick looking and their black eyes staring coldly ahead. Diana's own eyes widened as she recognized the species and quickly doubled tapped the side on her suit's mask over her face. Once Flash received the picture he gasped and hurriedly said something to someone else and she recognized Bruce's stoic voice. Flash came back, "Wonder Woman, those are-"
"They're heading somewhere and they had files in their hands. I'm following." She flew to the next hall, waiting till they passed. She followed them for a few more and was finally able to take a picture of the files in their hands as they punched in a code to a box that materialized from the dead end wall. "Translation?"
He sighed; "No luck so far, but Manhunter just got here and he has some knowledge of whatever language that is." She didn't answer as the wall she had originally believed to be a dead end suddenly opened into two doors, the figures walking through. She had pressed her mask, recording the whole thing and Flash cursed, "Stupid alien shit."
"Going in," she whispered as she followed close behind. The doors opened up to another corridor and the rooms they passed were filled with blinking lights and looked to be bolted down. She could hear Flash questioning what was in the doors and the reason why they were so closed off and why it didn't show up in the blueprints until Diana went through. That raised questions; what weren't they seeing and missing if not everything come out on the prints? The Glezboks finally came to a stop and one of them pulled out a blue card and swiped it against the door at the far end. Before they could leave, Diana quickly snatched it from his pocket. "I have access to the doors."
"Then find out what the hell's behind them."
She nodded and went to the one that had first caught her eye. It was a green one, the only colored door here and she swiped the card. "Are you following me?"
"Always beautiful. It looks like you're coming up to an open space and one of the major wires is connected here. I'm getting high levels of energy coming from there."
Diana cautiously floated in, "It's a lab." Her eyes swept over the entire area, seeing the instruments across the long tables and white flat beds in rows on the side, strange machines hooked up.
"Superman and Green Lantern found the ray. They shut it down and are making their way to the second you found."
"How did they shut it down?"
Flash was perplexed. "They don't know. It happened when you swiped that card; I'm guessing it holds more power than just opening the doors."
She slowed to a stop and looked around herself, "Barry… I think they're conducting experiments on creatures." The small containers containing what looked like hair of all colors, flesh and bone and one eyeball stared at her with an air of eerie alarm and chilled her as she took the pictures, flying over to the bloody instruments. Quickly flying out the room and to the one next to her she saw that the tables in this room were occupied, strange disfigured mutants convulsing on the bed as the Glzeboks bent over them, sticking needles in their head and out their mouths. Green and blue liquid spilled out of the victims that struggled against the scientist and Diana felt disgusted as she slowly backed away. Glancing through the door of each room she saw similar scenes and rounded back to the one she first went in. She caught sight of a large computer and quickly attached her cable, scanning through the files with Flash. They quickly translated and he sighed again, "Galfore wasn't lying. They are sadistic." The files were all 'patients', documenting their test and progress, and 'deceased' coming up more than 'active.' She carefully looked at the names and faces, never once seeing the one that she had memorized. Flash made a quiet noise, "She's not there."
"Not here." Diana looked around. "For certain it's the same species that had contacted her when she was infected and now they are coincidently here on Venus. She's here." She flew to the end of the room and swiped her card.
"If she is, then we're too late."
It's never too late." The corridor opened up and she came across a metal door, a large yellow symbol in front. It was a twisted broken circle, a spear-like line crossing it diagonally. The humming was louder here, but when she swiped the card, it rejected her as the small black box challenged her. She bent over, pulling out the small cable on her wrist band and attaching it to the box, "Barry, get me in."
"Where are you going?"
She blinked, "Don't you see me?"
"No, your tracer just cut out." The light on top of the box blinked red twice before flashing green and the door hissed. Diana stepped and carefully looked in, seeing no one presence. "Diana, where are you?"
She looked at the door with a spiking interest. "If this path isn't showing up then it's obvious they don't want anyone to see or find whatever it is they're doing. Have the others found the drug?"
"No they're trying to find out what the Glezboks are generating. Diana, I have a bad feeling about you going in there. Wait for Superman."
At the thought of waiting on any man made her glare and fly with more fortitude, "I'm fine. From what I've seen I'm in the testing department. I just passed another room and it looked like it was in use," the sound off a drill echoed down the hall and a choking gurgle.
"Diana-"
The door swished open. She quickly threw herself up and stayed there as another Glzebok walked in, flanked by four bigger ones. He was dressed in a white robe, the only one out of the blue and black suits she's seen on the others though she could see black underneath. That slit of a nose was deeper on his face and his black eyes peered around as he started to click away in his language. While her mask was recording she recognized this Glzebok. His pale green skin was a darker shade than the rest of them and the tone of his clicking was deeper. The scientist he was speaking to clicked in response and it sounded faintly like a name.
Ry'ku
At the same time that she discovered the identity, Bruce was in her ear, "Get out." He hissed.
She couldn't respond as she was directly above them. The door they just came through hasn't opened and as she looked closer she saw three metal bands on the floor, a small light in the center; a motion detector. Looking further in, she noticed no one was inside.
Barry was back, "Hal just found that the generators are all connected to the testing labs that you're in. They're using the sun's energy to either keep these things alive or do unmentionable things. We collected enough information now and we can return with a warrant. You have to get out. Superman's on his way."
Just as he said that she felt that familiar tug, an empathetic pull of her attention through the door. Flash's voice calling her brought her back, "This mission isn't over; there are too many questions left unanswered," she whispered.
"And we'll get them. Together." Clark whispered as he looked down at Ry'ku still clicking away. She turned to him as he slowly flew up to her, motioning to Hal who was at the end to keep going.
She shook her head, "He's here. They have a solar ray and generators fueling their station and experiments that are gruesome and corrupt. There is a missing fallen member of your nephew's team that we have reason to believe is directly linked to the Glezboks' presence here." Diana gave him a construed glance. "And we are here. Together. The young ones deserve answers."
Superman stared at her for a while before nodded and touching his earpiece, "Batman, we're going in."
They didn't wait as they flew into the room, the motion detectors sensing and closing on Ry'ku and the others. He quickly went to the lock and changed the code to keep them out. "We have to hurry. Bruce is angry."
"When is he not?" She smiled, but it faltered as she looked around. The room was tinted in yellowish-black, the lights ahead dim and gloomy. Blue capsules lined up against the wall and each one of them were connected by cables with electricity surging through them. The bars on their doors indicated their energy levels and heart rate. The two flew down the room, "Hal?"
"We found a gluka trace in the second generator's room. He's trying to find the source.
They came to the end of the capsules and Diana leaned in close to see inside. Her eyed widened when she saw the disfigured head of an alien, recognizing some of the containers contains as she saw the scars on its face, its jaw slacked. Superman called her and she walked over to the computer as he scanned through the files. "This is the mainframe. Everything about this place is on here. So far, I'm reading that they're trying to make that drug into a greater weapon, not just a stimulant for their military. The Tamaranian's energy was enough to contort the drug even more and has since been recycled to their use. They are trying to control whoever the drug takes and the solar rays keep the energy going as the aliens they have here aren't Tamaranian and can't take in sun."
"They're creating a mindless army."
"They're creating monsters that bow to their will."
Flash suddenly spoke up, quiet since Diana went in, "If it's the mainframe, you should be able to find her." He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes scanning the information Superman and Wonder Woman were sending through. After two minutes, he frowned. "There's nothing there."
She leaned closer to the hologram and looked over it again, "They only have her energy."
Superman slightly bowed his head and retracted the cable, "They took her body to obtain the energy she had left, possibly immediantly after the burial before she combusted. Her energy is being used to strengthen the existing gluka and from what I just translated, some of her blood was extracted as well. That's why her trackers turned on; the electricity probably activated them. Bruce, her body is gone."
There was a moment of silence.
The door creaked. Superman and Wonder Woman quickly extracted themselves and flew to the ceiling as Ry'ku angrily marched in with the others close behind. They looked around and when they didn't find anything went back to what they were doing before and left Ry'ku alone in the room. He went over to the computer, pressing his hand against the screen and waited for a moment. They watched as symbols flashed and the capsules started to pulse. Humming vibrated the walls and a deep hiss came from somewhere below them. Struggling was seen through the foggy windows of the containers as the creatures convulsed viciously. It was abominable and ghastly and the two moved to stop him, but within a second they heard their hearts stop. The electricity kept on. Diana covered her mouth and Superman's face was an expression of extreme animosity. The two made their way over to the door-
The yellow light turned into a deep red.
Superman froze in air and suddenly dropped. Diana grabbed onto his arms, gritting her teeth at his weight and flew higher up, watching the Glzebok the whole time. Ry'ku's black eyes never left the screen.
The red light flooded the room and the humming drummed in her chest. Diana held Clark from under the arms, holding his back to her chest as he groaned in pain under the red light. The door opened as another Glzebok walked in and Diana made to fly out.
Until the scream.
That same scream that they heard on the transmission, high and in agony that chilled her bones and sent shivers up their spines. Superman's head whipped around toward the direction of the sound, trying to muster enough strength to use his x-ray. He weakly pointed to the floor at the center and Diana gave him a strange look. The floor? There was nothing underneath; they have been flying around here for three hours trying to make sense of this crooked maze. The red light was draining him and Diana had to get him out.
Ry'ku pressed another series of buttons and a high frequency rang out. Diana's ear piece suddenly shattered and her emblem flashed red as did Superman's. The screaming intensified with the frequency and Diana shook at the voice. Tugging brought her to the floor and she fought to support the both of them as the red light grew bright and the electricity started to cackle. The air was much too hot, her hair being drenched in sweat and her cheeks flushing. Her vision blurred and shifted as the frequency made her head throb. Superman couldn't take any more, he was too weak right now and the door wasn't opening. Diana quickly set him on the floor and steadied her vision as much as she could and lifted off the floor. She shot to the controller, fists held up and smashed through. Immediantly the frequency stopped and the lights turned off. The room was now illuminated by the blue of the capsule and Ry'ku's angry clicking started again. She grabbed his ankle and threw him into the far side of the room.
A faint whimper came from below.
Diana flew over to Superman and grabbed the door with her hands; if it wouldn't open she'll force it open. She could hear hysterically angry clicking from the other side and the telltale noise from Hal's ring. Her fingers dug into the metal and she lifted.
That whimper choked.
She paused. Hal was out there, possible fighting hundreds of these monsters and Superman was struggling to stand. But that voice, it was in pain. Diana pounded her fist against the door.
"Sun..." Clark breathed.
She quickly grabbed the metal table to the side and smashed it into the ceiling with all her force. It tore through, the gaping hole revealing hot light. Grabbing the front of Superman's now visible suit she twisted her body to gain momentum and with a grunt sent him soaring through the hole. A pound of the wall made her whip back around before flying back as the door exploded.
Hal was holding the Glzebok back with a green shield, "I caught them filling five aliens with energy till they combusted and tearing apart another! This place is a martyr house!"
Superman zoomed in now, his eyes red with lasers, "Take them out! Diana, the captive underneath; we're getting the victims out!" Hal dropped the shield and the two of them shot forward.
Diana grabbed the floor and pulled, the metal creaking in protest as it lifted. She forced it away and started to claw at the second layer underneath. A ray beam zapped her side and she swung around to see Ry'ku but Superman's lasers quickly defended her. She turned back to the hole and punched through with all her strength. It gave way and opened up to a green room. A pulsing green room.
She flew in and stopped short at the thousands of vials present. They all glowed a strange green, almost silver and she quickly scanned the contents. Gluka; controlling, monster-making gluka. Small wires of electricity were connected to the vial holders that were sprouting from another capsule, bigger than all the rest and glowing. With every pulse, electricity would flow into the vials that would pulse in return.
Diana was at the capsule and dug her fingers in the middle, ripping the metal door in half. A gooey substance leaked out as she tore the door off and halted at the sight. A girl, naked and skinny, head bowed in unconsciousness, was shackled to her cage, her hands and feet bonded. From the cuffs extended needles up her arms, pricking her elbows, shoulders, the back of her knees and thighs, turning her skin blue at the penetration. She had more needles hooked up in the back of her neck and front of her throat. Her skin was a sick pale color and hugged her bones in an unhealthy way. Scars of all shapes and sizes littered over her frail skin, the biggest being the jagged one on her stomach that extended up to her breast. If Diana looked closer, she could see the slight movement of her chest as she breathed and her blue veins from the paleness of her skin. She extended her hand over her left breast, feeling the weak stutter of the girl's heart and the icy coldness of her skin.
Diana was disgusted by the sight; how could they do this?
She looked around; was there a shut off switch or lever, did this girl need to be in here? Will she die if they get her out? How do they get her out, there were so many needles and in viral places as well! One small mistake and Diana could lose her; she looked on the verge of already being so.
Very carefully, she pulled out the needles, first on her elbows then knees. Her skin didn't change color and she didn't stop breathing so Diana continued to her thighs and shoulders. Using the gentlest of fingers she removed the ones on her neck, the girl's body giving a slight shudder when she did, and quickly broke the bonds. Immediantly the electricity stopped and the lights overhead flickered. Diana blinked; was this girl a generator as well?
Laying her on the floor, she touched the black shackle on her head. It was too big for the girl's small weak body and from the blinking lights and symbols, Diana was willing to bet it was a controller as well. She didn't know how to take it off; it was too risky.
Superman flew in, "Diana, they ended the victims before we could get to them. Hal bought us some time; he's in the south wing and the rest think I'm in the east." He stilled at the girl.
She shook her head, "She's dying."
"Is it-"
Diana shook her head again, "No. You saw it yourself; they don't have her. But this one is a fourth generator and by the looks of it, the one to keep the drug stimulated." He looked around for a moment, taking in the vials and spotting a white cloth. Kneeling beside Diana and wrapping the cloth around the girl, he lifted her into his arms. "I can't take that off; it's connected to her head."
His vision switched to x-ray and his face scrunched up in affliction as Diana grabbed the closest vial and tucked it into one of her pockets of her belt, "They implanted a device in her intestines; looks like a…bomb. Or a manipulator. We have to get it out. Her heart rate's slowing even more." His eyes turned red as he looked at her scar, "I'm hesitant to perform an operation, but it'll kill her."
"Then we'll-" a mighty explosion shook the floor and Superman covered the girl with his body as the center of the top floor collapsed on them. Diana threw it over, smashing the vials along the way. The sounds of clicking and snapping came into range. The two flew up and he glared down the hole, his eyes glowing red as he shot his lasers at the vials. Upon impact, the gluka sparked and soon the room was filled with green and silver fire melting and blazing at everything. Wonder Woman's white boot was caught and the fire licked up her pant leg, burning it off as they charged through the enraged barbarous scientists, searching for Hal. He rounded the corner, firing a green machine gun at the Glezboks. "We have to go!" He shouted. Several spear like weapons were thrown at them, the ends tinted in blue and when they hit the walls, the acid burned through.
The fire was roaring, pouring down the hall at them like a gush of water. But that scorching heat was anything but, and added to the intensity of Venus. Hal's ring materialized a green sharp wedge and stabbed through the ceiling and the other two with the girl flew through. He followed after them as the Glezboks emitted what sounded like a scream as the fire engulfed them. They flew to the ship, desperate to get away from the station that started to erupt in explosions and flames. The wicked blaze lashed onto the second station and the sphere was sparking with blue.
Hal threw open the latch to the pods and turned on the ship while Diana and Clark tried to hold down the girl who started to convulse in the sun. They fleetingly sat in their seats, closing the latch and started up the ship, turning the boosters on high and tinting the windows for the girl's penetration areas started to bleed. "Watch tower, come in Watch tower! Diana, JLM-03 requesting service, do you read?" She shouted to Hal to switch to offensive mode as Glzeboks started to spill out of the stations with weapons in hand and heading toward them. The heat of Venus was becoming too much as it delayed the ship's takeoff, an alert sounding for overheating. Spears embed into the ship, the acid melting away at the metal. The sun's heat bore down on them as the ship finally began to purr, if not with effort. It started to blast the aliens as it lifted, coming dangerously close to the two bases on fire, the walls already blackened and the third catching flame.
The ship rocked at the solar rays the atrocious demons fired at them and the girl convulsed once more. "Watch tower! Can you hear me?"
"Diana! Top speed, get us there in less than twenty four hours! Hal, make me an oxygen mask, she can't breathe."
"The boosters are trying to pick up speed, any more we'll blast ourselves into oblivion!"
"She's dying!"
Hal called out something as green glowed from his ring and Diana slammed her hand on the launch button, the boosters rocketed them forward. The heroes were thrown back in their seats from the force and the ship rocked. She clenched her jaw.
Soon the ship's shudders stopped and Hal looked back to see the planet becoming smaller behind them and sighed in relief. Superman stared at the girl, wiping off the small droplets of blood with his white sleeve and studying the muzzle that shielded her face. He gingerly fingered the back of her neck, feeling the metal pressed against her skull. He narrowed his eyes and used his x-ray to check on the now blinking device in her stomach and to see how embedded the metal is to her and became rock still.
"D...you...range."
"Barry!? Barry, can you hear me?"
Static, then: "Hang...into range...interference."
Diana checked the ship's radars and Hal ran a diagnostics of the damage done. "Barry, we made it out. Investigation was countermanded. Data collected."
"Received." He said, his voice worried and breathless, "Are you guys okay?"
She looked around, "Unharmed."
"Hostages?"
"Hundreds. Terminated. We couldn't get to them," she turned to Superman who was staring astonish at the girl, "Except one. Female. Looks to be human and barely breathing; boosters are at top speed. Request medical aid upon landing . We found the gluka storage below and hidden, contained in vials. The female's cartridge was connected to the vials; I have reason to believe they were using her as a fourth generator."
Barry was quiet and there was a mumble of voices in the background and Diana was surprised to recognized Donna's voice among them. The next voice to speak was hard and yet, still containing a little ounce of hope, "Did you find her?"
Diana closed her eyes and sighed, "Bruce..."
He was quiet.
A snap and hiss of air cut through the silence and Diana and Hal turned. Superman had the muzzle open, holding the girl's head gently as he removed it. Her face was still covered by a thin black sheath, bulging at the base of her skull. He gingerly peeled it off and over her face, her skin tight over her cheekbones from malnourishment. Her closed eyes were sunk into dark circles and her plump lips were pale and cracked, the corner of her small a deep red from possible biting it while screaming. Dark bruises covered her back and one stained her cheek while the scars that scattered over her skin didn't blemish her face. Her flesh was translucent, the spider webs of her veins visible and her bones stuck out. Yet, despite her severe condition, she was still beautiful, a certain innocence in her face that made the man holding her tightened his arms around her and settle her body into a cradling position. Her face was anything but peaceful as they all saw at least once either in pictures or in person as her eyebrows were pinched together and her mouth was set in a pain-filled frown. All eyes flashed to her chest, watching with their complete attention as it lifted and fell slightly, struggling for breath.
But still breathing.
Superman pulled the sheath fully off and Diana's eyes widened at the long waterfall of deep, cherry red.
"Guys...?" Barry said nervously.
Diana and Clark couldn't answer as they stared amazed at the girl. Hal broke out of the trance and leaned forward, "Landing approaching; eight hours and forty-three minutes. Operation: Ghost, JL-884 complete... Bruce...we found her."
xxx
Don't you dare look out your window, darling,
Everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold on to this lullaby
Even when music's gone
Gone
Victoria was awoken by the soft knock on her window. Though it was quiet it didn't stop her from jumping up in bed, her heart pounding at the noise. Any noise now, really, scared her something fierce. Any bangs, bumps, clattering or thuds terrified her. She searched her room, panting until she caught the figure at her window, looking at her apologetically. He slid open the glass and climbed in, "Sorry."
She shook her head, though much too fast to be convincing. He sighed and walked over, motioning to her to scoot over on the bed. When Victoria did he laid down beside her on his back, hands behind his head and she immediantly hid her face in his side. After a while she felt his hand gently patting her arm, "It's okay, Victoria."
"I can't sleep." She whispered.
"Why can't you sleep?" He whispered back.
"...Nightmares..."
He was quiet for a moment, thinking back to his conversation with Donna. He had nightmares too and surprisingly talking about the past with her calmed the storm, even for a moment. It came out of nowhere, but actually talking about it gave him a sense of relief and he was grateful to the girl. Maybe Victoria needed to talk too.
Starfire was always the best one for this... "Want to tell me about them?"
"No."
"You can't hold it in. It's not good for you. Trust me." When he sensed that she wasn't going to, he clasped her hand in his, silently sending reassurance and understanding to the traumatized girl.
She squeezed her eyes, "I can hear the screams. The shooting doesn't stop. I always see either Ben or Joyce get hurt, or you, and I can never reach you guys. I see blood and shadows and everyone around me is panicking and I can't get out. Then it always changes and sometimes I have the gun and I'm the one in the halls and I always see...I always see her." Nightwing stiffened. "She's always looking at me with her eyes glowing and her body's all-all like how it looked that day! And she smiles at me and moves forward and I'm screaming at her to stop and I can hear the gun shots and then my mom shows up and I can't do it. I can't do it!" She sobbed, trying to muffle her hysterically crying in his chest. "I see death. It always comes and it changes! Ben dies or Joyce or you and my mom and her! Always! I can't take it anymore!"
Nightwing grabbed her under the arms and brought her into his chest as she clung to him, wrapping her arms and legs around him like an infant. She cried into his neck as he walked to the window and climbed to the roof, feeling the freshness of morning air. He sat by the chimney, still rubbing his hand down her back soothingly. They sat there while the sun came up over the horizon and she was finally able to sit up on her own and stare out into the morning.
After a while she said, "Sometimes I forget what she looked like. When my mom died, I thought I lost everyone that ever cared about me. I thought they wanted to leave. I remember when you held me that day and I was able to wake up the next morning…" Victoria turned to him, "Whenever I think of my mom, I always go back to the day I was found and I ran into her arms. But I can never see her face. I only see…" her eyes filled with tears and she sucked in a breath, "At school, I thought I was going to die and I worried about you. I was thinking about my friends and the titans and her and for the first time in months I saw my mom clearly. And now she's in my nightmares."
Nightwing held her hand, "That day, your mom ran up to Starfire screaming. We were all in the street and Beast boy was closest to her, but she ran to Starfire. She was crying, grabbing onto her, and begging for her help to find you. Starfire was more focused than I've ever seen her before and when you left she looked at me and said that she wanted to visit you."
"And then she got sick?"
His smile hesitated and he looked away, "Yeah, and then she got sick."
"I didn't know that. For so long I thought you all just forgot about me."
Nightwing was quick to contradict, "We never forgot about you and she was very worried. She just wanted to keep you safe."
Victoria fingered her burn and smiled, "Mom and Starfire are my role models. I told Ben and Joyce about her and took them with me to visit her monument." She looked at the light blues and purples of the sky, "They were excited and shocked at the same time, you should've seen their faces, they were like, 'you knew Starfire!?' It was so funny!" Nightwing chuckled lightly at her sudden enthusiasm, thinking back to his own change of mood when talking with Donna, "Joyce kept asking me about her and if I knew you guys and she was begging for an autograph and picture with 'The Great Nightwing.'" She clapped her hands together and fluttered her eyelashes at him, laughing when he let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, shut up, you know you're hot. Every girl thinks so."
"You think I'm hot? I feel greatly disturbed."
"I said shut up, not me! But if you must know; no, I don't think you're hot. You are ugly."
He smirked, "I know I'm hot."
"No, you're ugly."
"You're ugly."
"You're hideous."
"You're blonde."
"What's that suppose to mean!?"
"I would tell you, but you wouldn't get it." He laughed as she punched his shoulder and started the shoving contest. He caught sight of her scraped knee that started to scab and she had to literally hold onto his arm to keep him from getting up and 'ending this' as he so kindly put it once she told him of her bullies. He showed her another defensive move, taunting her when she groaned and smacking her on the back of the head when she didn't pay attention.
When they were done and she was trying to catch her breath, he sat on the chimney and kicked his legs back and forth. "So, why did you take your friends to the monument?"
She pulled her hair up into a pony tail. "I wanted to show them a part of me. And I wanted to visit. Have you gone?"
Nightwing looked away for a moment, guilt coming in at his neglecting for visiting. He used to do it all the time, the first two years, in the dead of night and speak to her, lying on top of her grave and fingering her flowers. He would speak into the floor and close his eyes, imagining her next to him, but lately, for some reason, he stopped. It always gave him a strange peace to be there beside her and feeling her presence close, yet, that started to change and the last time he was there he just turned and walked away again. He rubbed his green ring, the sunlight reflecting through it in green sparkles. "No, not for a while. I've been busy."
Victoria gave him a confused expression. "But, you put that thingy on her stone."
He blinked and inclined toward her, "What thingy?"
"When I went, I was fixing all her flowers and I saw this blinking thingy on the ground. It was underneath all the stuff and it looked like something of yours so I thought you put it there. So I didn't move it."
Nightwing stiffened, "Blinking...?"
"Yeah?" She scrunched her face up in thought, "Like the little things you throw on bad guys. It was black with a blue light. Didn't...didn't you put it there?"
"Was this the first time you've seen it?"
Victoria frowned at the way his voice dropped low and shook her head. "I saw something like it a long time ago, but, again, I thought it was from you. I hadn't seen it in a while and when I did that day I thought you had gone. When I touched it, the blinking stopped and the light turned red. It scared me and I left it alone."
"...When you touched it...?"
Nodding, she said, "It was weird." She looked at him and her eyebrows pushed together at the hardness in his face and the way his mask took on a more dangerous, distant look. She's only ever seen that expression when he was talking or looking at someone else, but he never looked at her with that face. He always relaxed with her.
He suddenly got off the chimney and pulled out a small device no bigger than the pad of his finger. It was black and silver and when he pressed it, the center started to blink white. "Yeah, that's how it looked." Victoria lifted her face back to him, her body tensing as he glared at the roof. "Nightwing...?"
"I have to go."
She dumbly watched as he stalked over to the edge, "Okay...be careful."
At her words he paused and turned his head toward, the corner of his lips lifting slightly, "Always. I'll see you later." He leaped over the edge.
Victoria sat back down, hugging her knees and resting her chin on her arm, "I hope so..."