DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Teen Titans characters, or the DC Comic Characters. Nor any of the brand names found in this story!
Summary: Kori Anders, news reporter, has seen a lot in her time. With the recent killing of civilians, Kori is putting away her papers, and testing out her investigation skills. Not only worrying about becoming the next target, she is worrying about her old flame Richard Grayson who seems to be appearing a lot more often, especially when she is with billionaire and rival to Bruce Wayne, Slade Wilson. Who is killing the people and will Kori be next? Oh, and who is Nightwing?
Reminder: So it has been a very long time. If you forget what has happened, let me fill you in!
At Slade's Christmas Eve party, Kori had been kidnapped by Red X and Deathstroke. Now Nightwing is to the rescue! Nightwing goes to save Kori who is on the Jump City Post Building roof. Deputy Todd and Commissioner Gordon are there to back Nightwing up! Now three bullets rang in the air. One bullet hit Red X, leaving him in a puddle of blood. One bullet hit Nightwing's wrist. The last bullet misses Deathstroke by inches. Deathstroke disappears in a smoke bomb but not before throwing Kori off the building to an eleven story fall. Nightwing goes after to save her but each of them fall to the ground in a mess of blood and broken bones. Everyone is worried! Who survived? Oh read the story already!
Twenty-Five
It was now Christmas day. The snow fell lightly to the ground like little angels twirling throughout the night sky. The moon illuminated the atmosphere and the stars watched the crowd below at the Jump City Post Building. Their twinkling lights left a hope throughout the people's hearts as they shined down on the miserable sight below.
The air was quiet after the three ringing bullet shots. The people stood patiently holding on tight to each other praying that this one Christmas morning would bring no mourning to family or friends. Everyone stared at the alley way, no one daring to make a move towards the two falling angels who fell minutes ago.
Officers mumbled on their police communicators and eventually sirens could be heard in the distance. The sound was familiar and people shook out of their trance as everyone made room for the incoming ambulance cars on their way. The cars pulled up and the EMTs rushed out of their trucks. They went to the nearest police officer, and soon help was on the way for Kori Anders and the masked Nightwing.
The sounds in the night air were far off. Nightwing could hear his own heartbeat slow down and accelerate in a constant pattern as he lay on the ground taking deep shallow breaths from what had just happened. He leaned forward slowly and examined his surroundings. He couldn't go forward far, his whole entire body aching. He felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. His wrist pulsed with the bullet still in it. His head ached having taken such a hard impact, and his legs were numb.
Richard was so caught up with himself that he failed to realize about Kori's safety and injuries. His eyes scanned for her, he was panicked. He then found her head resting on his legs, her eyes shut with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. Her skin was unusually pale and she showed no signs of moving or breathing.
For once Nightwing couldn't do anything to save her. He was just as helpless and immobile as she was. He sat up shakily ignoring all of the pain in his body. He ignored his body telling him to lie back down and go to sleep. He inched up and finally saw where they were.
The dark alley was abandoned with few cans here and there. An old dumpster was parallel from them on the other side. Around their bodies was a mixture of dirt, snow, and blood. Richard couldn't tell if it was him bleeding or Kori. He eventually figured it was a combined effort. The sky was dark with stars and continuous snow. Ambulances echoed in the distance and Richard knew Kori would get the help she needed soon.
"Kori," Richard's hoarse voice called her name lightly and he gently nudged her with his bleeding wrist.
He could feel his heart pounding, his breath holding as he waited for some kind of response. Richard had tried everything possible to make sure Kori could have the safest landing possible. It wasn't enough obviously. She wasn't moving, wasn't speaking, and wasn't breathing.
"Kori," he tried again. He could feel a small tear come to his eye as he watched for anything from the red beauty. "Please wake up!" He almost yelled it this time, however, it hurt to talk, it hurt to breath, it hurt to move, but most importantly, it hurt to see Kori like this.
Commissioner Gordon and the newest deputy Ronald Todd stood staring at side of the building. The body of the dead Red X was taken and put into a black body bag. Investigators would check him out later. At the moment the police were only concerned with why their fellow officers were staring at the side of the building.
Ronald Todd could feel his whole body trembling as he looked at his officers. They stared at him with blank faces not sure how they should react to the scene. He remembered pointing to the side of the building.
Officer Pallamanko had turned his head to the side, curious. Pallamanko had followed the pointing hand to the side of the building where he saw nothing but an alley way. He almost missed Kori Anders and Nightwing's bodies, but he saw Kori's flaming red hair.
He pulled on his radio connected to his shoulder anxiously. He pushed the button talking a mile a minute. "We need the paramedics to immediately go to the alley way on the right side of the building. A male and a female are on the ground looking unconscious. They need medical attention. Get someone on it, Dean."
"Ugh!" A sudden cough was heard and both Officer Pallamanko and Deputy Todd looked over to wear Commissioner Gordon started to cough. His coughing violent shook his body and his skin began to pale. He eventually stopped coughing and each of the officers noticed shortness of breath.
"Sir, are you okay?" Deputy Todd began to rush over, but not before Gordon fell to the ground grabbing his chest in pain.
"Dean! Dean! We need another set of paramedics up to the rooftop. The Commissioner is having a heart attack! Hurry!" Officer Pallamanko yelled into his radio in a panicked voice. He then kneeled over Gordon forgetting all of his training and what to do.
Julia Heard wasn't exactly sure why she drove herself to the scene of the crime. After she had received the call, she herself had gotten off work and decided to meet the other officers and paramedics. Driving in her car she wasn't sure what to expect when she arrived.
A crowd was now around the building and parking her car across the street, she ran where all the other people were. The ambulance had yet to arrive. Julia pushed herself to the front of the crowd where she saw officers pacing around in panic.
She was now being shoved against the barrier. She almost went past it but an officer came quickly. "Miss, we need for you to step back."
"Excuse me, Sir, I am an EMT." Julia hoped that would allow the officer to let her pass. However, it was a failed attempt.
"I'm sorry. No one can go up there. The real paramedics are on their way." The officer lifted his nose to the young brunette and she couldn't help but feel anger rush inside of her.
"I can help!"
Before either of them said another word, an officer came over the radio. "Dean! Dean! We need another set of paramedics up to the rooftop. The Commissioner is having a heart attack! Hurry!"
"Look, with the ambulances yet to arrive sometimes with heart attacks there is only a matter of minutes before he could die. Let me through and let me go up there to save him!"
Officer Dean looked around. He wasn't sure what he should do. Regardless of what the rules were, he wouldn't, couldn't, let his Commissioner die today, on Christmas of all days. He moved the barrier quickly and allowed Julia entrance.
"Go through the doors, up the elevators and up on the rooftop. Hurry up and save my boss."
Julia rushed in without a second thought and hoped to make it up there before it was too late to save a life.
The outside glass collected frost as Kori watched out her hospital bedroom window. The sound of her heart monitor let Kori know that she in fact was alive. Her eyes flickered and she fought off the sleep she so desperately wanted. It was Christmas day and there was no way she could continue to lay here with her broken leg and arm. She had yet to know about Richard, Red X, Slade, and the officers at the scene of the crime. She had yet to know if her friends had safely made it home or even if they knew about tonight's events.
She leaned forward, taking a deep breath while doing so. Her whole entire body was bruised from the fall. She could only hope, no, pray, that Richard was okay. He had taken a majority of the impact trying to protect her, trying to protect Kori. She herself had felt pretty beaten up. She had severely bruised her whole entire torso. Her neck had to be stitched up from Red X's deep knife cuts. Her face was cut up leaving scratches and some blood. Kori had also managed to break her right forearm which consisted of two bones, the radius and ulna. She also broke her left tibia bone in her lower leg.
They had already stitched up Kori's neck as well as put casts on her leg and arm using purple wrap. She was amused at the color, but nothing could distract her from tonight's events. She was so tired and her mind wondered to the feeling of her infinite fall from the Jump City Post tower.
"I want to go home." Kori mumbled.
"How did you hear me come in?" Rachel looked as Kori turned towards her.
"I saw your reflection in the window." Kori looked down and she held back tears as her lip started quivering.
"Oh Kori, I'm so glad you're alive!" Rachel rushed over to the bed enveloping Kori into a loose huge, careful not to squeeze too tight.
"I was scared Rachel. I'm still terrified. All I want to do is go home and celebrate Christmas. That is all I want." Kori managed to have a calm voice while she talked. Silent tears flowed down her face and Rachel nodded.
"I've been trying to talk to the nurses. You might need to sign some papers saying you're leaving against medical advice or whatever and you will definitely need to come back, but I will try to get you home for Christmas." Rachel gave her best smile she could manage. It was hard to while looking at how broken Kori was.
"Where is Nightwing? How is he?" Kori quickly asked realizing she had neglected to find out yet.
"Kori…" Rachel trailed off.
"Is he dead? Please don't tell me he dead. Rachel, where is he?" Kori started to blubber as she replayed the fall in her head and was so worried about Richard's condition.
"I'll try to get a nurse to take you to his room." Those were the only words spoken by Rachel before she left the room.
Kori was impatient as she waited, but eventually a nurse came in with a wheelchair that Kori was eased into. The nurse brought Kori down the hallway, but stopped before the window. Kori looked up questioningly into the old blonde woman's eyes. The woman looked down frowning.
"He isn't there, dear." The woman spoke. "Now stay here! I have to go tell the other nurses he left."
Obviously Kori wasn't about to follow this woman's rules. She struggled as she wheeled herself into the room to see and empty bed and a wide open window. He wasn't here. He had left, but at least Richard was alive.
Kori wheeled herself over to the bed. She laid her hand down on the unchanged sheets and soon her head. She began to cry hysterically as she grabbed the sheets in her hand and looked up into the open window. It was still night, but the sky lightened as daytime approached. Snow still fell though and Kori was beginning to feel the effects as the open window rushed the cold air into the room.
Kori grabbed the blankets off his bed and wrapped herself in them. She still cried holding the blankets tight to her, sitting in the abandoned room. Kori had never felt more alone right now. All she wanted was answers, but all she needed was Richard.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hello, to whoever reading. I haven't posted anything on this site, let alone been on this site in about a year. I am disappointed I never finished this story. I have been meaning to, but everything I wrote was crap! So much has happened to me over these few months I have been absent. Now you don't need a sob story or any of that. I will just say I have lost a lot of people in my life, but I have gained friendships, and once upon a time love. However, I had lost any passion to write, until now. I miss writing so very much. It's the one thing left that I can really say is all mine anymore. No one can take this away from me.
So, now, about this story. I had originally wanted one last chapter to be 25. However, there will obviously be more chapters to come. I will finish this story with or without reviews or readers. I apologize for any grammar mistakes, I am a bit rusty. It is a short chapter, but I thought it was the perfect one to get started again. I really hope you enjoy.
To all my friends on here, you'll most likely be hearing from me soon may it be though reviews or messages. I have missed FanFiction and I am happy to be back!