Author's Note:
Funny how we get from an innocent scene with flowers to this. Have to go where the plot takes me... See, this is why I usually finish things completely before I post, why didn't I do that this time?
Didn't expect this at all. Changed the summary, if you noticed... contemplating renaming or splitting...
Still pushing that T limit.
Wake up
Starfire woke to a splitting headache, it pounded behind her eyes, making her shut them with a groan. Her tongue was heavy in her mouth, rough, like she could feel each separate tastebud graze against the roof as she licked her lips. Her body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, her naked body at that and she could smell Robin all around her.
Arms and hands refused to follow instructions. Legs unbelievably heavy. She was half hanging off Robin's bed, her head dangling, arms over the edge, hands draped on the floor.
Starfire had no idea how she'd gotten there. In fact, she seemed to have little memory of the night before, an oddity for her as alcohol never induced blackouts.
"Stop. We can't."
Starfire shifted, her chin resting on the edge of Robin's mattress as she pondered why she could recall him saying that. It was so hard to concentrate, the room continued to spin, round and round, her eyes unable to focus on anything bar the barest hint of shapes and colour.
"Could we not, just this once? Just once, then go back to abstinence?"
"Star, it doesn't work like that-"
"Richard, please-"
Starfire jerked her head up so fast she gave herself a bloody nose. Her stomachs rebelled, thrusting upward for her throat and Starfire scrambled off the bed. She'd never make it to the bathroom, she knew, so she grabbed Robin's waste paper bin and threw up into that. Throwing up and trying to staunch a bloody nose, an impossible task, Starfire got the inkling something was seriously wrong.
Robin wasn't in bed, she could see that through the haze of pain in her head and retching of her stomach. She was curled up on the floor, naked, bloody and throwing up and he wasn't there, not that she wanted him to see her like this, but it did hurt that he wasn't there.
More to the point, there was a growing suspicion within her that she did something bad. Very bad. Very, very bad. Something she could never forgive herself for, something she'd never expect him to forgive her.
She'd forced Robin.
She had to get out of here...
No... something was wrong. She needed help. She could barely move, her stomach hurt, everything was wrong and in pain and terrible and she needed help first.
Gasping and panting and crying at the same time, she managed to crawl and drag the bin over to Robin's cupboard. Her clothes were in shreds on the floor, no point with that, although her floral panties were in reasonable shape so she struggled to force her legs through the holes and wiggle them up. As it was, she only made it to her knees.
Wiping her nose and smearing blood along her hand, she managed to reach one of Robin's belts. In her frantic yanking as she tried to pull it from the hanger, she pulled half of his clothes on top of her.
She almost passed out right there, it was only her need to get some aid that kept her going, her fear that if she didn't, she might never wake up again. Fingers fumbled for the right pocket, opening all the wrong ones on his belt along the way until she finally found a communicator. Flicking it open, she didn't care who she contacted, she just hit the first button then moaned "Help," to the dark face who answered before she succumbed to unconsciousness.
TTTTT
Cyborg studied the blueprints he'd painstakingly designed in his Lab at S.T.A.R., his finger gentle as it traced the particular electronic components required for this upgrade. Mechanical fingers, designed for a piano player who didn't want a section of his brain removed in lieu of cybernetic implants to run his new left hand. The man wanted to actually play again, improvise, instead of having preset chords installed and having to program them before a performance.
It had been a challenge. The man would still need to have a chip installed in his primary motor cortex and another in his spine to help regulate the hand, but Cyborg had managed to decrease the size of the brain chip itself by fifty percent. Regulation of a hand, unlike most other limbs, was a complex task, especially for a concert pianist, it required numerous of neuron connections, and it was hard to program a small chip to compensate.
"Mr Stone?"
Cyborg raised his human eye, although his cybernetic one still concentrated on the blueprints.
"Yes?" he asked his lab assistant, Melanie. Cute, button nose, mousey brown hair, with a mind as sharp as diamonds and an innate ability to work with cybernetics, she was a pleasure to work with.
Melanie smiled. "Ms Simms, on line one."
Cyborg nodded. "Thanks." He rolled up the blueprints and handed it to Melanie. "Tell them they made a mistake in section A12 of the neuron interface. Have them recheck my blueprints please, they're missing four critical connections. This design would implode his brain."
Melanie smiled. "Of course. I'll let them know."
"If you can use the words 'imbecile' somewhere, I'd approve. They're still doing this deliberately."
"I'll CC Dr Charles."
"Good idea. Thanks. Heading home early?"
"Few things to finish, then yes. It's Saturday after all."
"Have a good one." Cyborg reached for his phone, pressing the button to retrieve call. His arm console was blocked, there were a few things in his lab that interfered with the connection, so it was easier to use the phone. "Hey baby."
"Hey honey!" Sarah said happily. "I finished early."
"How'd it go?"
"Ugg," she groaned.
"That bad, huh?" Cyborg asked swinging on his chair as he talked to her.
"Nah, it was okay. My brain hurts though."
"Poor baby."
"Got an implant for that?" she asked in a teasing tone.
"It's called fudge ice cream and a cuddly teddy bear."
"Are you the cuddly teddy bear?" Sarah asked.
"Of course."
"Awesome."
Cyborg glanced at the clock. "I'm nearly done, I can pick you for lunch-"
"Vic?" Melanie called from her desk. "Priority call from Robin."
Cyborg swivelled on his chair. "Thanks. Sarah, call you back. Robin on the other line."
"Okay," Sarah chirped. "Call me when the alert is over. Love you, baby. Be safe."
"Bye." Cyborg hung up, then pressed the button on the phone to retrieve Robin's call. "Yo, wassup-"
"Need you back at that Tower," Robin demanded.
Cyborg stilled at the tone in Robin's voice while his audio processors translated. Anxiety. Sheer panic. Desperation. "Somethin' hap-"
"Help me."
Cyborg dropped the phone.
The whole frantic trip to the Tower in the T-Car, Cyborg knew something was seriously wrong. His foot was permanently planted on the turbo, forcing his baby as fast as he could. Reaching for the console, Cyborg punched in Beast Boy's code.
"Sup, dude," Beast Boy's happy voice answered a minute later. "In the middle of a set, can't stay-"
"Somethin' happened to Starfire."
"What?" Beast Boy asked in a strangled tone.
"Dunno, on my way to the Tower now. Placin' you on alert."
"Need Raven?"
"Um... yeah... probably..." Cyborg entered the tunnel under the bay and opened up the T-Car, speeding along as the lights in the tunnel zipped by. "Look, pullin' up now. Connect into the Tower mainframe and see what's up."
"Right."
Cyborg left tread marks on the garage floor as he screeched to a halt, then took the stairs two at a time.
The alarms were blaring, red flashing lights as Cyborg charged down the hallways. "Computer, cease alarms. Locate Robin."
The alarms ceased blaring, for which Cyborg was immensely grateful, then the computer stated, "Robin is in the medical bay."
The medical bay was chaos. There was a puddle of bloodied vomit by the door which made Cyborg's heart clench even before he opened it. What he found made him die a little inside.
Partially naked Starfire, although Robin had thrown a blanket across her torso, stared glassy eyed at the roof. Blood streaked across her face, her lips were pale and cracked, vomit crusted in her hair and down the side of her mouth. Dark rings under her eyes, her hands were spasming. She was hooked up to a heart monitor, her rhythm irregular but not catastrophic.
Robin himself only had a pair of shorts on, his hair sticking up every which way. The look he gave Cyborg was one of pure, unadulterated relief. "Cy," he said, his voice panicked. "I can't get the IV in."
Cyborg took charge. "Move aside," he said, shouldering Robin out of the way. "I got this. It's cool."
Robin went willingly, handing over the equipment and Cyborg peered at Starfire's wrist. Robin had tried several times by the looks so Cyborg shook his head, tossing the needle away. He grabbed the fluid bag, reaching across the bed to take Starfire's other wrist. "Other arm. Or we'll collapse the vein."
"Sorry," Robin said, completely flustered. "Sorry. I can't... I can't think..."
"And you're shaking," Cyborg noted, keeping his voice soothing. "Calm down. I'm here now, we'll fix her."
"Sorry." Robin wrung his hands together, then shook them as he tried to stop the tremors. He closed his eyes and took several calming breaths.
"What happened?" Cyborg asked, his arm taking diagnostics and his cybernetic eye charting symptoms.
"Systems purge, I think," Robin said, his voice a lot more steady now. He picked up a cloth and wiped Starfire's face clear of blood and vomit, checking her nose to see if the bleeding had stopped. "Delayed reaction definitely. Body couldn't cope. I think. I dunno."
Cyborg got the IV in and started up the drip. He handed the fluid to Robin, who hung the bag on the stand. "Systems purge of what?" he asked, his his hand reaching for Starfire's face so he could check her eyes.
Robin lifted his red rimmed blue eyes. "Flunitrazepam."
"Someone roofied our girl?" Cyborg snarled, his hands crunching around the sidebars of Starfire's bed.
Robin couldn't look at him, shame and anxiety etched on his face as he cleaned Starfire. "Looks that way."
Cyborg's mechanical heart felt like ice. "Was she ra-"
"She was with me."
"Okay. Right. Good. No. Not good. How the fuck did you let this happen?"
Robin cast him a hurt look. "It only takes a split second inattention, Cy. We were at a party, I can't watch her every second at them and you know how rarely we go out like that. I don't know how this happened. I should've known, should've seen... she... we..." Robin hardened his expression. "But I'm gonna find out."
"Good." Cyborg took a moment to compose himself. He stretched across the bed and gripped Robin's shoulder for a moment. "Let's get her stabilised."
TTTTT
Scented candles, the smell of incense filtered through the air. A darkened chamber, the flickering halo of the candles the only light in this forsaken place. A voice chanted softly in the dark.
"Azarath, metrion, zinthos."
The candles flickered as magic gathered to the call.
"Azarath, metrion, zinthos."
The ground was coated in dark energy.
"Gemma eram beatus per pectus pectoris venia. Gemma vadum causa suus cado. Is advehai... advendo... Is adened... Gemma vadum casua suus... damnit..." Beast Boy groaned, rubbed his head as he tried to remember the rest, then spoke to the air. "Raven, babe, I know you can hear me. Help me out."
The crystal before him resonated. "But you were doing so well," she replied in a teasing tone. "That's the furthest you've gotten-"
Beast Boy stalled her before she could start chatting. "Something's happened to Starfire."
TTTTT
It took a good half hour before Starfire was stable enough for both of them to relax. Heart beat returned to its normal rhythm, Starfire falling into a natural sleep.
Cyborg placed his hand on Robin's shoulder briefly as his friend slumped on the seat by Starfire's side. Robin lifted Starfire's un-IV tethered hand, pressing it against his forehead while Cyborg rechecked his readings.
"She's as stable as she's gonna get, man."
Robin breathed out slowly.
"Go... shower or something. Get a uniform on. You'll feel better."
"I can't."
"I'll sit with her. She won't be alone."
"Cy. I can't-"
"Dude. Get your ass in the shower. Put a uniform on. Spike your hair. Become Robin-the-leader not Dick-the-boyfriend and get your brain into gear to catch the scumbag before he hurts someone else."
Robin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Right." He stood abruptly. "Cy, can you get me a print out of the chemical formula so I can get a match."
"Will do."
"And you call me-"
"If anything changes or she wakes up," Cyborg promised.
Robin nodded. He leant down and kissed Starfire's forehead. "I'll be right back," he murmured, then strode from the room.
Cyborg shook his head. "Poor guy," he told Starfire as he started cleaning up the medical lab. "You have us all worried, girl. Pretty sure BB and Raven will be here shortly. Better get this cleaned up."
He stripped the plastic from the gurney, disposed the used IV needles and set up the computer monitor, while requesting the computer print a list of the additives in Starfire's blood. He then mopped the floor clean so they had a more sterile environment.
Behind him, the door swished open and Cyborg smiled. "Speak of the devil," he started, turning, then the words died in his throat. "Oh. Shit."
TTTTT
When Starfire woke, she felt a little more coherent. There was a mask against her face, her body clean and covered in a blanket. She couldn't see much, just the florescent light above her bed. The air smelled sweet and her mouth didn't have the 'I just gargled a cactus' feeling. Still, she felt weak, drained.
Flashes of memory, dancing and kissing and hands everywhere. Torn clothing and him smiling.
"Please?"
Resignation in his face, acceptance. "Okay. Okay."
Hushed voices, Cyborg, Robin. Outside the medical bay, she was sure. Muted and hard to hear but she could make out some of it.
"Someone slipped-" Whatever he said next was lost beneath him thumping the wall. "When I find out-"
"Calm down, man," Cyborg said, soothing.
"Can't. Need to report this," Robin growled. "Need to fix it. Cy, find out if there were any others."
"On it."
"You didn't have to come-"
"She called me, did you think I'd just sit idly by?"
"I don't think she meant to-"
"Since she's stable," a dark sounding voice said. "I'll sit with her."
"... okay... thanks."
The door to the medical bay slid open, Batman's imposing figure filling the frame. Starfire blinked. Batman stared. Starfire blinked again, her hand tugging feebly at the mask on her mouth. Batman turned and said, "Dick."
A uniformed but maskless Robin was beside her in a flash, his hand securing the mask against her face again. "Hey," he murmured, face full of worry. "It's okay, you're okay."
Tears abruptly filled her eyes, trickled down over her cheeks. Misery and wallowing and self loathing. How could he care for her when she'd broken their promise?
Robin immediately wiped at them. "Shh. It's okay. Just rest."
She wanted to tell him she was sorry. She wanted his forgiveness for what they'd done, what she'd forced him to do and his caring was just making it harder on her.
"How're you feelin'?" Cyborg asked, placing his hand on her upper arm for comfort.
Starfire flicked her eyes to Cyborg's worried face briefly, but they were quick in the journey back to Robin.
"Who gave it to you?" Robin asked, his voice strangely tight. "Do you remember?"
Starfire frowned, confused. "I-" she managed to grate out, her throat raw.
"She is in no condition right now, Master Dick."
"I need to know," he said in that strange, tight voice. "Who gave you a drink? Did anyone touch yours? Tamper with it?"
She was confused. "-at?"
"Someone slipped you something, I need to know who."
She couldn't think, couldn't remember. Scrunching up her eyes, she tried. She couldn't recall any instances where her drinks were out of sight.
"Shh, shh," Robin soothed, his fingers stroking her face, his cheek on hers. "It's okay if you can't. I have enough to go on. Just rest, you'll be fine."
"-en."
"What?" he asked, pulling his face away from hers so he could look at her.
She licked her lips, her hand going for the mask to pull it down. "Jen," she struggled out. "Shhhhh-r-d... I- not-"
"You shared a drink with Jen?" Robin translated, looking concerned.
Starfire nodded, keeping her eyes on his.
"And you don't know where she got it from?"
A tiny shake now, although the movement made her head spin.
"Did she drink some?"
Starfire nodded. So hard to stay focussed. So tired.
Robin turned his head to look at Batman. "Jennifer Turner," he said.
Batman nodded, then swept from the room.
"That's good," Robin crooned, turning back to her. "Good girl."
Starfire swallowed heavily. Robin reached up and collected a cup from the bedside, angling the straw so it was in her mouth. Starfire took a mouthful, although it was hard to swallow, her throat felt better.
Robin kissed her forehead, her cheek as she closed her eyes again. "Star, I mightn't be here when you wake up next, but I'll be close, okay?" he murmured, squeezing her hand.
"Mmmm."
"Sleep," he whispered and his voice followed her into darkness.
TTTTT
"What happened?" Raven asked the moment she and Beast Boy ravened into the common room. It had taken her a while, crossing over requires specific spells and alignments and the trip itself takes a while. She was here as fast as she could but it still didn't seem like it was fast enough.
Robin looked up from the console where he and Batman were working to smile gravely. "Hey. You didn't have to come-"
"Cut the crap," Raven snapped, noting Batman's presence with narrow eyes and idly wondering how he'd gotten here before her. "What happened to Star?"
"Someone roofied her," Cyborg said from his work station.
"Holy shite..." Beast Boy murmured.
"Is she okay?" Raven asked, her heart in her throat.
Robin nodded. "Stable. She regained consciousness not long ago, but she's out again."
"Thank Azar," Raven breathed, slumping down on the nearest seat. She held her head briefly while Beast Boy put his hand on her shoulder for comfort.
"What can we do?" Beast Boy asked.
"I got those addresses," Cyborg announced. "Two were admitted, the other four reported to the police. None of them were interfered with."
"Six girls other than Starfire?" Raven asked and her hood went up to hide her reaction.
"Someone went on a spree," Robin said, grave. He stood, in full leader mode, ready to act. "Raven, Beast Boy take the two in hospital. Cyborg, you take the other three, we'll need samples from them to tie with Star's formula. Leave Jennifer, I'll see her. See if they can remember anything, if they're even coherent yet. Anyone bumping into them. Odd people. People paying too much attention to them. Stay in contact." Robin balled his hands into fists. "Batman and I are going to check out the warehouse and pay a visit to the host."
Author's Note:
Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol or Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)) or 'roofie/rufie' is a modern day sedative that when diluted is colourless, odourless, tasteless, and can put an individual out for 12 - 14 hours or even cause death.
They are a well known date rape drug. They can be rare or prevalent depending on the region.
Roofies cause sedation, a feeling of extreme intoxication, and amnesia. About 10 minutes after ingestion, usually dropped in a drink, you'll start to feel very drunk-like and have difficulty speaking and moving; eventually, you may pass out.
The drug's amnesiac effect lasts at least eight hours; even if you are not passed out, you'll have no memory of anything that occurred while you were under the drug's influence. Besides making you vulnerable to sexual assault, roofies can also cause seizures, coma, liver failure, and even death from respiratory depression.
What you can do to protect yourself:
-Don't drink anything you did not open yourself or that you didn't see being opened or poured.
-Don't accept a drink from someone you don't know unless you see it being opened or poured by a bartender.
-Always watch your drink at parties and bars. If you leave your drink unattended, get a fresh one to be on the safe side.
-Have a buddy system. Go with friends. Look after friends. Don't assume because someone looks drunk they are drunk.
-Males and females can be roofied. Do not think you're not susceptible because you're a guy. Guys can be raped too.
Starfire is Tamaranian, so she had a different reaction to it.
Also, girls share drinks all the time. We often do it without thinking about it. Sometimes, we share the consequence too.
Also, guys, I'm only showing you a certain side of College. It usually is a wonderful, uplifting experience. I could have, if I wanted to, dragged on about how they were having a wonderful time in classes and enjoying the activities, that sort of thing, before I sent them to a party, but I chose not to. It's not like they're partying every weekend either, just every now and then. Nothing wrong with that.