A/N: Sorry for the delay people, my thumb drive with all my writing stopped working. After moping for three weeks, and sulking for another two I took it apart, soldered the leads and managed to recover everything! Then Sandy hit... ugh... but now things will pick back up again!
Big thanks to HaywireEagle who advised me to work on the pacing of my story and that it feels a little rushed at times, so I'm going to work on that going forward. I'm going to start setting a timeline in the story to make it a little easier to follow and make the story flow more fluidly.
I appreciate feedback like this people, keep it coming!
And I am overwhelmed by the support of new readers! I'll have to make sure I don't disappoint! Thanks to all the favoriters out there! (Not a word I know!)
-Watchtower, Diana's room, 8 hours ago-
"Do you really expect me to trust you?" Diana asks angrily. She should call the others into her room, let them know what is going on, but there's no telling the kind of havoc that might cause. Of all her enemies, Circe has proven to be the most confounding.
She's vacillated between being an enemy to a reluctant ally before. It makes sense in a strange way since it is really Diana's mother that Circe truly hates.
Circe stands from Diana's bed and approaches the Amazon. Diana takes a step back to ready herself, but suddenly feels very light-headed. "Of course not…"
The light-headedness progresses quickly to all out nausea and realization dawns on Wonder Woman. "You-!" Diana drives Circe hard against a wall by her shoulders. The sinister smile never fades from her face as she calmly peels Diana's hands from off her. Diana looks on, amazed she is unable to keep her grip on the witch.
With blinding speed, Circe backhands Diana clear across the room. Disbelief is written on Diana's face as she notes that not only is she bleeding but that Circe was the cause of it. She opens her mouth to speak, but finds she is unable to do anything but look up at her attacker confused.
"It's a powerful paralytic adapted from the petals of the Crotus flower… you remember that flower don't you?"
Diana did indeed remember, even if she was unable to answer directly.
She had come in contact with them as a youth, exploring her home island of Themyscira. Having never before experienced weakness or fatigue, she panicked and ran straight to her mother. Hippolyta explained to her the flowers were there to be used for a very special ceremony, one that she would tell Diana about when she was older. She had her suspicions as to what that meant, but to this day her mother had not explained further.
Back then they had made her feel weak and dizzy, but the effects today were far more potent. Right now Diana cannot move, cannot speak, can barely even form a thought. It took all her effort just to continue to take air in and out of her body.
"I made some modifications of course, there are some among these mortals who have... usefulness... under the right conditions... " Circe answers Diana's unasked question, as she walks over to her. Diana uselessly struggles to escape Circe's approach which causes the sorceress to chuckle. "Ever the fighter, eh, Princess?" Circe's expression turns dark. "I always hated that about you!"
Without warning Circe's begins punching Diana as hard as she can. Diana cannot even flinch as Circe delivers blow after blow. Soon the blood is flowing freely from Diana's face, but her eyes have lost none of their defiance.
Circe steps back, admiring her work as Diana lies helplessly against the wall. "There. That should leave your beloved teammates enough to stir them into a frenzy..." Diana cannot mask her confusion at her statement; she doesn't understand why Circe would seek the wrath of the League. Diana doesn't have time to wonder long, as Circe unfastens a certain golden lasso from her hip. "Okay your highness; I need to deliver you to a madman, so be a good girl and hold still while I tie you up."
-Bludhaven, July 12th, 5:26AM-
"That the guy you're supposed to be checking up on?"
"Yup." Nightwing answers, keeping his eyes on the middle-aged man opening his car door. So far Adam Davies has kept to a pretty strict routine, an incredibly boring and predictable one. In Dick's opinion this meant that he had to be involved in some dirt; no one was this clean.
He works in the Information Technology department of a local cellular company, a job well below his capabilities. An M.I.T. Graduate working in a call center doing server upkeep is almost as preposterous as a billionaire playboy spending his nights beating criminals senseless.
"You said you got this guys' routine down pretty well, do you really need to keep watching him?" The woman who calls herself Huntress asks. She had been joining him on his patrols recently and although he enjoyed the company, he found her to be much more talkative than he would have thought. Barbara almost never said anything when she would join him, but then, she was also schooled by the king of silence.
"Yup." Nightwing watches Davies pull away from his two story walk up, driving straight down third. From there he would head to the highway entrance and spend an hour weaving through early morning traffic. Not that there was much at this time of day.
"C'mon, Nightwing…" Huntress closes the distance between them, taking the binoculars from him. In her boots she is almost at eye level with the hero, a fact she uses to her advantage as she stands in front him. "There are much better things to do with your time than follow Mr. Rodgers around his neighborhood…" The subtle suggestion is not lost on Nightwing, nor is the closeness of her body to his.
She had been dropping hints for the last few weeks and it seemed that for all his intelligence that Nightwing was as thick as the Kevlar weave of his uniform.
"It's Mr. Davies, but I would like to hear your alternative plans for Nightwing…"
Huntress immediately moves into a fighting stance when she hears the intrusive voice, but Nightwing just sighs and turns. "Batman…"
"Nightwing…"
"Huntress, allow me to introduce you to Batman. Gotham City's protector... Batman? Huntress."
Huntress looks back between the two men and when she notes that there doesn't seem to be the imminent threat of a fight she finds her voice. "A little far from home, ain't cha?" There were rumors and whispers that Nightwing had once been Robin, the Batman's partner, for Huntress this confirmed things. They regarded one another with a familiarity that only came with working together.
Batman turns in her direction and glares at her. "I would think you should be getting home yourself. You have an early class to teach this morning and I don't think you want to have to come up with another excuse to Principal Finch…"
Huntress stands with her mouth agape, turning to Nightwing for an explanation. She hadn't even told him about her day job, how did Batman know so much? And perhaps, more importantly as far as she was concerned; what else did he know?
Nightwing shrugs at her expression. "World's greatest detective isn't an empty platitude…"
She recovers herself, giving Nightwing a kiss on the cheek. "I'll leave you to it then, before he gives you my cup size…" She is disappointed that their night was cut short. Nightwing had been a tremendous help in her quest to bring down Vincente, not to mention that she thought he was ridiculously hot. So far they'd only done some mild flirting, with her taking the lead in that. She had hoped tonight to progress to something more.
Huntress sighs at the lost opportunity before she dives off the side of the roof with ease, leaving the two men to face off.
The two stare at each other for a beat, both likely waiting until they're sure the vigilante is out of listening range.
"34 C, but I'm sure you know that already…" Batman smirks slightly breaking the silence. Once he'd heard from his contacts that Nightwing had been seen about town with a purple clad female with a penchant for crossbows, Batman immediately found out everything he could about her.
He didn't like what he found.
She showed none of the restraint that his former ward did; often leaving her opponents with permanent injuries and if the rumors were true, taking a few lives. He came here tonight to bring her to justice, but didn't anticipate finding the two of them together. Taking her on patrol with him meant that Nightwing had revealed quite a bit about himself to Huntress.
"Out of respect for you, I held myself in check in front of Huntress, but you have no right to be here." Nightwing bristles outwardly. Batman was extremely territorial when it came to Gotham and the same was true of Nightwing when it came to Bludhaven. The only hero visits he allowed were of the non-costumed variety.
"Actually, I think that's my line. Huntress is-"
"Considering the compromising situations you've been in with a certain pretty kitty… I don't believe you're in a position to advise me…" Nightwing growls angrily.
Batman's jaw tightens slightly at his comment, but his voice remains impassive. "I would never take her out on patrol with me. Or allow her to interfere with the mission, while you have let Davies slip-"
Nightwing silences him holding up a small handheld device. "Put a tracker on him the first day I began tailing him…. A certain set of autonomous satellites keep me aware of his bowel movements, let alone his location. When are you gonna quit treating me like a child?"
While it was true that Nightwing had grown into a capable man and hero, Batman still felt that Dick struck out on his own too early. That there was still much more that he could show the young hero. But their relationship had been strained as of late.
Nightwing didn't agree with Batman's decision to go to reserve status in the League. And he definitely didn't like the fact that Bruce had recommended him for full time status. "What makes you so sure she can be trusted?" Batman asks not addressing Nightwing's question.
"Unlike you, I'm willing to give her the chance to actually earn it." Dick counters. Though both men had suffered the unspeakable horror of watching their parents die in front of their eyes, they both handled it differently.
Dick saw the value of cherishing those important to him, because they can be taken at any moment. Batman kept people at a distance to protect his damaged heart from further pain. It was why his dedication to his mission often bordered on fanaticism. Why those who cared about him the most were often frustrated and angry with his behavior.
He never let you in, not completely.
The same thing that drove him to train himself to the peak of physical prowess; that pushed him to the point of exhaustion and made him an amazingly effective crime fighter, was the very thing that hampered him from developing real connections with anyone. Dick, Barbara, Alfred and Tim had all tried to reach behind the rage and they all failed.
"That approach will inevitably lead to disappointment..." Batman turns activating a device in his glove. In the alley below them, a cycle powers up and Batman turns back to Nightwing handing him a small thumb drive. "Files on Huntress... review them... Next time I am in this city, my conversation with her will go much differently..."
Nightwing eyes the drive for a moment before dropping it to the rooftop floor and crunching it with a boot. "Tell me something... do you trust any of us? I mean really trust us?" He knew Huntress' past. He was hoping to help her to make something more of her present, a fact he wished he could explain to his surrogate father.
Batman turns away from Nightwing again, this time heading to the ledge. Nightwing is sure he will get no answer to his question.
-Gotham City, July 12th, 8:26AM-
"You are here for a reason..."
Those words still angered Peter, hours later.
The man- the force of nature- The Spectre, announced to Peter that he had brought him here from another place.
For a reason.
Spectre, however, offered no additional information. Was he taken from another time? Another dimension? Another planet? Peter's questions fell on deaf ears.
When Peter asked about his memory loss, the only answer he received was: "It is necessary."
When he inquired about his abilities, he told him: "They are a part of you."
When Peter, out of frustration and anger swung at him with all his might, he vanished.
Leaving Peter to wonder why the man had bothered to show up in the first place. Not knowing the answers to the questions that had been plaguing him since waking up in a Gotham Cemetery was bad enough. But knowing there was someone out there who had the answers he sought, but refused to give them, was worse.
Waking up in a strange city with no memory of where he was, let alone who he was, wasn't an experience he'd wish on anyone. For the first few days he cried himself to sleep out of frustration and despair.
But he had moved past all that.
At least he thought he had until this morning. By all accounts, he had been doing fine adjusting to this new life. Of course there were times when he lamented his situation, but those instances were becoming less and less frequent.
Being a member of the Teen Titans allowed him to not only help people, but to interact with teenagers who could relate to his unique situation. A kid with memory loss and spider abilities was practically boring compared to aliens and green shape changers. Even his civilian identity of Peter Harrison, Gotham Academy student, had been going well. He enjoyed the teachers and most of his classes were challenging enough to keep his interest.
There were far worse things that could have happened to him on the streets of Gotham, than to be taken in by a billionaire who moon lights as a vigilante. During his time on Baker Avenue, he'd seen just a glimpse of the evil in this world and it was more than enough to keep him awake nights. It was also a key catalyst in him taking up the mantle of Spiderman.
Now though, he couldn't help but wonder how much of his experiences the last few months had been orchestrated by the man in green and white. Did he really desire to help people in need; or had that merely been an implantation of the Spectre? His creativity, his intelligence, everything about him, was it all simply conjured out of thin air to serve some greater purpose. Peter knew from Batman's files that The Spectre was all but omnipotent; so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
For all he knew, The Spectre took some ordinary guy, gave him some powers and amnesia just to see what would happen.
He'd been going round and round all morning until he'd finally reached his breaking point.
So, even though he was supposed to be at school, he took his cycle for a drive, sneaking past the watchful eye of Alfred. He dressed in full gear, figuring he was less likely to be stopped as Spiderman than Peter. Although he did have license to operate his cycle, thanks to Batman's manipulation of the motor vehicle department's database, he didn't plan on obeying the speed limit.
When people saw a costumed vigilante speeding through the streets, they always figured that they were off to save the city or something. Nobody wanted to be the one who kept a superhero from saving the mayor from the Riddler just to give him a speeding ticket. Especially considering the unlikelihood of catching said hero in the first place.
Riding through the streets of Gotham during the daytime hours was a different experience.
The city is vibrant when not under the cloak of night. If Peter squinted hard enough it resembled Metropolis, in all its ivory towered glory. The people were so full of life and hope; you'd never know they spent most nights in mortal fear of two-faced mobsters and crazy clowns.
Bruce fought desperately to change all that; both as a philanthropist and as masked avenger.
Though the world at large thought that Bruce Wayne's "humanitarian" efforts were simply a cover for his more raunchy affairs, those in Gotham knew the truth. That although on the surface, Bruce Wayne came across as a playboy with a devil may care attitude, he was one of the few who truly did care.
And he showed it with actions, not empty platitudes.
Less than an hour later, Peter was outside the Gotham city limits and the backdrop immediately shifted.
Skyscrapers, warehouses and urban sprawl were replaced by lush countryside and rustic mountains on the road leading to Civic City. He'd be coming here tomorrow to attend Dr. Palmer's lecture series, but today it was a stopgap on his way to Titans' East HQ.
When he reached the outskirts of Steel City, he ran out of gas. He could have easily pushed it to a gas station, but instead he wheeled the bike into an alley, activated the cloak, and took to the air.
When it came to clearing his head; this, he found was much better.
Something in his heart told him that this was right, in spite all his earlier confusion and doubts. This was true.
Swinging from his webs, he felt at ease, his agitation forgotten. Batman criticized him for adopting such an unorthodox form of transportation. Robin thought he was one miscalculation away from being a smudge on a skyscraper, but Peter didn't care.
Some things were not up for negotiation.
Bruce explained that the calculations of trajectory, mass and speed that were required to successfully swing, were impossible to do on the fly. Even when Peter showed him he was perfectly capable of navigating most of Gotham City in his own unique way, Batman was still not in favor of it. He convinced Peter to use that mode of travel sparingly.
Reluctantly, Peter agreed, after all the cycle was not a terrible way to travel.
Still on nights when he was allowed solo patrol freedom, he left the bike stashed in an alley somewhere. Bruce would surely object to his reckless treatment of a million dollars of Wayne Technology if he ever found out. For Peter though, remaining on the ground was like putting a shark in a goldfish bowl.
He felt confined and inhibited.
Peter took to web slinging with ease and he was beginning to think it may be because he'd already developed the skill before waking up here.
Just who the hell was I anyway, that this was a normal form of transportation?
All the good feeling he'd built up during his web slinging evaporated by the time he dropped from the sky onto the banks of the river across from Titan's HQ. He was angry again and couldn't wait to hit the state of the art gym.
Unlike the West Coast affiliate, where he'd met all the members before, the East Tower was more isolated. It was situated on a man made island some thirty miles from any shore. He dropped in on the bank facing it and stared for a moment.
There was an underground entrance that would respond to his DNA signature.
Once he activated it, he made a beeline for the training room.
-Watchtower Training Room, seven months ago-
"When you're in a hostage situation there are four things you must do in order to survive it..."
It was a typical training day on the 'Tower and Batman was conducting a session with the founding League members. Of all the men Diana had met since leaving the island, Batman intrigued her the most.
He was the least powerful of them, yet he commanded the most respect. All of them, even Superman, seemed to regard him with equal parts admiration and fear. He didn't wield the universes most unique and powerful weapon. He wasn't an otherworldly power that could crush coal into diamonds. Yet there was no doubt that everyone in the League followed his lead.
If she wondered why, all she had to do was think back to the first time she saw him in action.
He reminded her of the big jungle cats of her homeland; agile, powerful and deadly. And beautiful.
Lately she had found herself more and more distracted in his presence. She had chalked it up to what she'd heard call a "school girl crush". Having not had any experience with men before she had assumed her infatuation would likely pass at some point.
"Seriously, Bats?" Flash laughs derisively. "We got people here who can smash mountains or race around the planet in under a minute (yes thank you very much!); who's gonna take one of us hostage?"
Diana had to admit she found herself agreeing with Flash. The invasion that brought them all together had been the exception, not the rule. She was sharing a room with people generally difficult to subdue, let alone capture.
Batman doesn't answer Flash directly, he simply depresses a button on his belt and a bubble like balloon quickly envelops the speedster.
"Very funny Bats, but- I can.. just a sec-" Flash tries as hard as he could to puncture the bubble, but its frictionless surface doesn't allow him to get any speed going. Whatever the substance was it resisted his best efforts.
"Given time, resources and opportunity any of us can be captured..."
-Unknown location, Now-
Diana awakes thankful that she had been able to pay attention that day, since she now finds herself as the unlikely captive.
"First asses yourself, your physical and mental well-being..."
With her eyes still closed, Diana takes a breath allowing her senses to guide her.
Her muscles are sore, there is dried blood on her face, but physically she feels intact. Nothing feels broken; she is restrained, lying on a mattress. Circe had worked her over pretty good, which accounted for the soreness, but her mind feels clear and her cognitive abilities intact. Whatever Circe had used against her before had, for the most part, worn off. There had to be some lingering effects, because as far as she could tell her strength had not returned to her.
To test her theory she strains against her bonds and finds them to be secure, not allowing her much movement. For now though, that is not the main concern.
Breaking free of her bonds is actually not the second step in Batman's lesson
"Note your surroundings and look for anything that can help you determine where you are."
She remembers asking him why this was the second step and not just breaking free. He explained, somewhat patiently for him, that if you just punched free of your prison and you were thousands of feet below sea level, or stranded on a floating space station, freedom might place you in greater danger.
So Diana takes a look around, she is in a small, windowless room, tied to a bed. Nothing of note is in the room, the walls appear to be normal enough and she is by herself. She didn't sense any abnormal pressure, but not being at a hundred percent, she couldn't say for certain. So for now, her whereabouts would have to wait.
"Determine how you came to be captured to begin with..."
That was easy enough.
After Circe tired of beating Diana's helpless form, she tied her up in her own lasso and knocked her out.
Diana knew this was an oversimplification, but the truth was too disconcerting for her to face right now.
Because somehow Circe had boarded the Watchtower undetected, taken the form of Batman, synthesized a chemical agent that rendered Wonder Woman's powers inert and brought her here.
All of this accomplished with relative ease.
There were security safeguards in place developed by Batman, Dr. Fate and Mister Miracle that made such a thing impossible, yet somehow that didn't seem to hinder Circe.
Diana couldn't help but wonder when or if anyone would come looking for her, given the abrupt nature of her capture. She had taken a leave of absence before, without warning, to return home and take care of things on Themyscira. Sure there were signs of obvious struggle in her room, but it could be days, maybe weeks before anyone bothers to look for her there and by then the trail would be ice cold.
Bruce once told her that the first forty-eight hours are crucial in any case and that after that the success rate plummets exponentially.
Who knows how long I've been out..? Circe seemed to want the League to know I was missing, but that doesn't mean she intends to do more than that. She mentioned delivering me to a madman... Ares? They were lovers once... would he dare risk Athena's wrath? Of course he would... He's mad... There's no way of knowing what he has planned for me...
She shakes those disturbing thoughts by focusing on the final point of Batman's lesson:
"Is escape possible...?"
Circe had long harbored a grudge against her, but this seemed out of character for her. Circe preferred to be present for her humiliations and as far as she could tell, Diana was alone. Circe is likely to return, if for no other reason than to gloat, which meant that Diana needed to free herself quickly.
She again struggles against her bonds, working up a sweat until she hears the telltale scuffle of a person approaching. Unsure of what to do, she feigns unconsciousness.
"Wakeee, Wakeee eggs and bakey!"
The singsong voice startles Diana, because it was not the voice she expected to hear. When she opens her eyes, she's more confused than ever.
"You?"
-Titan's East HQ, Training room-
The Entrance Alarm woke her up from her sleep.
She was angry because it was one of the few times that the Tower was actually quiet. M'Gann was visiting with J'onn on the station; the others were, well, she didn't care where. All she cared about was the fact that she was able to sleep past 8am for the first time since moving back into the Tower.
That was until he set the alarm off.
At first she thought it was Garfield; Beast Boy was always forgetting to enter in his bypass code once the scanner allowed him in. She was surprised to see Peter on the control room cameras, heading for the training room.
Surprised and a bit excited, for reasons she fought hard to deny.
If pressed for an answer, the heroine named Koriand'r would likely admit to the fact she liked Peter.
He had a quirky sense of humor, but he wasn't crude the way Beast Boy could sometimes be. He was obviously very intelligent, but there was a natural humility about him that other men she'd met lacked. . Much like herself, he'd been through a lot in life and like her he made the best of the situation.
Not to mention she thought he was very handsome.
Despite all that, Kory was not as naïve to the ways of earthlings as she once was. She knew Peter was off limits to her.
Dick was her first love, he taught much about life here, meaning he would always have a special place in her heart. And he and Peter were friends. More than that, they were essentially brothers, having been taken in and trained by the same man. Out of respect for what Dick meant to her, she wouldn't allow herself to pursue things with Peter.
That didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy his company.
After taking the time to shower and dress she made her way to the lower levels. There she found Peter engaging in a round of "Save the Civilian"
It was a program that Robin, Beast Boy and Cyborg designed, although Beast Boys main contribution was giving the program its dorky name. It was meant to train members to protect people while dealing with multiple threats.
There was another, more serious lesson in the program that Cyborg recently informed Starfire about.
It was designed so that there would always be casualties.
A perfect score in the simulation was impossible.
Regardless of your abilities, of your skill, you would never be able to keep everyone safe in the time allowed. There was no pattern in the attacks to memorize, no "easy" setting to help you get through it, no matter what you did; someone would die. This held true even for those with superhuman speed like Flash and Supergirl, no one was quick enough to counter every single threat.
Although truthfully it was not only a matter of speed, it was more a matter of recognizing threats quickly and being able to act without a second's hesitation.
Of course, Starfire questioned this with Victor Stone, whose response was simple yet powerful:
"Better for them to learn they can't save everyone in a simulation and be mentally prepared for the possibility... than to learn that hard lesson in the real world..."
Now she was watching Peter do his best to prove himself equal to the impossible. Because of his enhanced senses he could detect the next threat before it actually became one. And with his superhuman reflexes, speed and strength he could neutralize them quickly. The program was adapting to him though, giving him all he could handle, but every time Starfire noticed another potential threat, Peter was already taking it out.
The fluid grace, with which he moves, is surpassed by the ferocity he employs in eliminating his targets. He is a true warrior in all respects, no wasted motion and no uncertainty in his steps. Even Dick in his prime didn't move the way Peter did.
In her youth on Tameran and in her time on Earth, she'd seen her fair share of fighters. Some employed savage aggression; others were technically proficient masters of their craft. Some, like Batman, fell into the latter category. They never allowed his emotions or the situation to deter them. They remained calm and cool under any circumstance.
She herself identified more with Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman; both were well trained but they fought with passion and vigor. Until today, she'd never seen a seamless blending of the two. It was something to behold.
Even his new mask couldn't hide his obvious fury; he wasn't here to hone his skills, he was here to lash out. From her spot above the room, she can't help but wonder just how strong he really is as enemies fall with little resistance. The droids were designed to fall when hit with the appropriate amount of force, which could be adjusted depending on the person's power level.
Peter had it maxed out, but was still mowing through them with ease.
This not only made them harder to take out, but also made them hit harder too. Not that he had to worry about it much. In the ten minutes she'd been watching him she hadn't seen him take a single hit.
{Program complete: Score... 100...}
With the program ended, Starfire floats down into the room behind Peter. When word of this got out, she had no doubt that Cyborg and Robin would likely spend days rewriting the entire program.
"Magnificent..."
Muffled by his mask, Kory can barely make out his dry laugh, but it is cut short as he turns to face her.
"For all the good it does..." Peter grunts in a hard tone that seems alien coming from him.
Starfire is surprised, but she approaches him anyway. "No one has ever managed to score higher than a 92 in the simulation... I'd say that is a feat worthy of praise..."
Peter shrugs and turns from Starfire, obviously intending to leave. Kory catches up to him touching his shoulder lightly. She's seen this agitated state before and knows she needs to proceed as carefully as she can. "Will you tell me what bothers you?"
He turns to her, but his mask obscures his expression. Her fingers run lightly along the neck of his uniform and she yelps as a shock runs through her fingertips.
"Sorry, security measures..." There is a bit of humor in his tone as he watches Kory attend to her slightly singed fingers.
"You Sons of the Bat are indeed sensitive about your identities... even though everyone that matters knows who you are..."
Peter cocks his head slightly to the side. "Sons of the- what now?"
Kory immediately realizes her slip up; embarrassed she decides to come clean. "It is- well Garth came up with it to tease Dick, who of course hated it... I didn't mean to-"
"I like it." Peter states simply still looking at Kory. For some reason his mask makes her uncomfortable. Reading her discomfort, he grabs her hands and guides it to a release point just under his chin and allows her to ease the mask off his face to rest on top of his head. "Better?"
"Yes..." Kory stares deep into his brown eyes noting with interest how different he is from Dick. Nightwing was more open than Batman, but he still buried quite a bit of his emotions. Peter wore his out in the open.
And if she continued to stare into them she would break her promise to herself. Turning to a completely useless droid, she changes topics. "Victor will not be happy that he has to repair so many droids..."
This time when he laughs, Kory hears less pain in it. "Please! He lives for this stuff... he'll probably look at it as a chance to improve on this model..."
Kory joins him in his laughter. "You're probably right..." Kory agrees stepping around the drone, to again face Peter. Her face flushes as he watches her with curiosity. She imagines her behavior around him confuses him as much as it frustrated her.
Where she came from, when you wanted something or in this case someone, you took it. But here there seemed to be so many complications in just basic human attraction, she felt unsure of herself. Unable to take the silence she returns to her earlier question. "What brings you to the East Tower, Peter?"
The dark cloud over him returned as he cast his eyes downward. "No reason..."
Kory lifts his head up by the chin, eager for the excuse to touch him again. "I am here for you... if you need someone to... talk to..." Her hand remains on his face and she only sighs slightly as he leans into its touch. There was so much need and ache in that gesture that she had to fight hard to keep herself from kissing him right there.
He takes a deep breath before speaking. "I suppose just your typical "Who am I, why am I here?" questions. Struggling with the reason for my life here..." Peter chuckles softly. "Jeez, I sound like a badly written tween show on the CW..."
Kory frowns a little, allowing her had to drop to his shoulder. "I rather enjoy them... do you not think they accurately portray the lives of teenagers?" Television became something of a haven for her in her early days on Earth. A way of connecting to a place that seemed so foreign to her.
Peter's smile is genuine when he responds. "Not that I have much experience, Starfire, but I have to say normal teenage life is a bit less... angst filled..."
"I don't know..." Kory admits, lowering her gaze to the floor as she thinks it over. "When I first came here, there was so much I didn't understand about this world. Customs and traditions that made me feel like an outcast, even among outcasts... I guess on some level I identify with those confused teenage girls..." They, like her were often torn between what they wanted and what was best for them. She wondered if it was a sign of weakness on her part that she still saw herself that way.
Peter reaches out and lifts her face up. "That's crazy..."
She meets Peter's eyes again and involuntarily moves closer to him. She can feel him stiffen a bit, but he doesn't move away. "Am I really so different from them...?" She watches his face closely, trying to see if she can read his reaction to her.
His expression is one of genuine surprise. "Of course you are! You are strong and determined-"
"When it comes to punching out Solomon Grundy, sure, but when it comes to matters... closer to my heart... I am a coward..." She hoped he would understand that she was speaking about him and that he would admit to feeling something similar.
"I don't know exactly what happened between you and Nightwing, but- Down!"
With incredible speed, Peter not only pulls his mask back on but presses Starfire flat to the floor, just as the arrow from a crossbow wizzes by them.
"Ya got some moves kid... I can see why they were willing to pay me so much upfront to take you out!"
Peter gets to his feet and places himself between Starfire and the attacker. Both instantly recognize the assailant.
"Bad news for you kid, is Deathstroke never fails to complete an assignment and someone wants you dead!"
A/N: Good to be back! Next up; Spiderman vs. Deathstroke, Batman questions a Riddler and a Father and Daughter agree to disagree!
