Chapter 28 - Spear Through The Heart
Way more happy with the reviews from the last chapter. Much more insight and personal opinions in them. Keep that up. This chapter is very emotional and... well I'll let you see for yourself. I'm very proud of myslef for how I wrote it. 405 reviews for an update.
Thursday, January 31st 10:00 AM - Kori's room
Kori's POV
After a very late night spent out on the balcony, Richard and I went to bed with the hope of sleeping late. I had no prior engagements to next day or meetings I had to attend, so we thought we may spend the day together with our friends, but our plans rarely do the working out, and today was no exception.
I lay sprawled out on top of my still sleeping boyfriend in a tank top and his jogging pants, that he complains I have taken over. I no longer sleep naked, which I know Richard does not like, saying he likes the feel of my skin, but Bee says he is just being charming and all he really wants to do is grab my breasts. I believe she correct in her assessment. I am trying to adapt to Earth's culture, and I have found that neither Raven, nor Bee, nor Babs sleep naked, so I assume it is not normal, no matter how much Richard insists all females do it.
I found that I enjoy to do the teasing of him. Strolling across the room naked only to put on clothes frustrates him greatly, so now I do it on purpose. He makes the cutest faces when he is grouchy.
I absently play with his hair, as I think about those sweet words he said last night. I did not believe it to be possible, but I fell even more in love with him at that very moment. He is so sweet, and I consider myself lucky to get to see a side of him that no one else does. X'hal, I cannot wait till we are married!
A dreamy sigh escapes my lips and I consider waking him, but before I have the chance to, their is a loud beating at our door. "Koriand'r, Nightwing of Earth, is time to awaken," I hear Galfor call.
Richard leaps up, startled by the sudden nose, and nearly throws me from the bed. "What's going on?," he asks frantically as he reaches for his mask and places over his eyes somwhat lopsidedly.
I cannot help but to giggle as I adjust it for him. "We are awake K'norfka."
"I wish to speak with you two at this moment," he calls from the door.
"Very well, we shall be out shortly," I reply.
I can see Richard's eyes widened behind his mask. "Galfore? Oh my God, he is going to kill me," he exclaims quietly as he trys to flee the bed, but my hands hold him in place.
I laugh. "Do the relaxing boyfriend Richard. Galfore is aware we are having sex."
He almost chokes. I wonder if all Earth males make that sound when they are nervous?
"You told him we were having sex?,"
"No, but we are chosen. I am sure he knows."
"So, he's not going to kill me?"
"If we do not hurry he very well may kill both of us," I respond half jokingly.
"Uhh, right," Richard nods before scrambling to put on his suit that laid at our bedside.
I make no changes to my wardrobe. It is only my K'norfka and it is not necessary for me to wear my royal attire in front of him.
When Richard finally manages to put on his suit we open the door to find my K'norfka standing there, a very determined look in his eyes.
"Is something wrong?," I ask him sweetly, just in case I am in trouble.
"No, nothing is wrong little one." He glances at Nightwing. "I only wish to borrow your chosen for the remainder of the day."
Nightwing gulps and a giggle almost escapes me. "Whatever for?," I ask trying to hide my amusement.
"I wish to show him some of the traditional Tameranian martial arts and train him more extensively to help him prepare for combat with Prince Karras," he informs.
That is actually an excellent idea. Galfore is a far more experienced warrior than I am, and I am positive he can show Nightwing things that I do not know. Nightwing looks at me, and though he is silent I can see his eyes beneath his mask and they are begging me to save him.
I flash him a cheeky grin before turning back to Galfore. "I believe that it wise. Nightwing would be very appreciative to learn from a warrior such as yourself, would you not, Nightwing?," I question, turning to look at him with my best innocent alien face that has gotten me out of trouble many times.
He glares at me before turning to Galfore. "Umm yeah, that would be... great," he responds forcing a fake smile.
"Then let us go," he bellows before grabbing Nightwing by the shoulder and pulling him out of the room. As he is drug down the corridor he turns back to me and pokes his tounge out.
I know he is not truthfully upset with me, so I just wave and mouth 'I love you' before heading back into the room. I do hope my K'norfka does not damage him, but I am sure Nightwing will be the okay. He can learn quite alot about Tameranian fighting styles from Galfore.
Deciding to start my day now that my boyfriend has been abducted, I locate my suit case and change into a clean tank top, the shorts for the booty, and my glorious purple boots. Richard told me that it was pointless to bring them, but I could not help it. I love them, and I believe I would miss them if I were away from them for three weeks. I know that is truthfully sad, but oh well.
The rest of the day I occupied myself with a number of activities. That morning I had the girl talk with Raven and she told me that Gar said he loved her. I was most excited for them. Love is truly glorious even though it comes with it's heartaches and frustrations. After lunch I helped Wally doing the picking up of the girls. It is not easy to translate some of the things he says to them. He however did get a number of the lip contacts from a few females... and one very large man. He did not wish to do the picking up anymore after that.
Not to long after Wally went to do the sulking, I realized just how bored I was. I miss television so much, and do not even do the getting me started on the mall of shopping. The only thing that is keeping from losing my sanity is that Richard and my friends are here. I truthfully am afraid of what shall happen if Nightwing is to be defeated.
I would never have such a discussion with Richard, but I know either way I shall not be Grand Ruler very long. I have decided that I shall rebel if he is to lose. The worst they can do is kill me, and that truthfully does not bother me. Without Richard there is no happiness and without happiness life is not worth living. Death would only mean comfort to me. At least I would Know Richard would one day join me at X'hal's gate, and no one can take us from each other then.
Thursday, January 31st 3:00 PM - Tameranian grand arena
Normal POV
Galfore slung the pouncing Nightwing off of him and into the air, with such power that it would rival Superman's.
With his cat like reflexes, Nightwing flipped himself in mid-air, so that he land gracefully onto his feet. They had been fighting for almost an hour, and Nightwing was sure his heart was about to burst, while Galfore didn't appear tired in the least, but after all he hadn't really been doing all the acrobatics that Nightwing had.
"Come again," Galfore boomed as he retook his fighting stance.
Nightwing, breathing heavier than he ever had in his entire life, charged at the giant man in front of him.
Galfore swung his sledge hammer of a fist with all his might at the human, but Nightwing evaded, leaping over the blow and managing to land two swift kicks on the giant man's chest and rib area.
Galfore, seemingly unaffected by the blows, turned an tried to front kick Nightwing in his chest, but Nightwing rolled under the forceful attack and managed to get under the extended leg. Forcefully pushing his body off the ground, he lifted tree trunck sized leg upward, while at the same time sweeping the man's other leg out from under him, causing the giant to fall with a loud thud.
Nightwing, remembering how Kori told him Tameranian's are very sensitive over their necks, quickly drew a night-a-rang and placed the blade of it to Galfore's throat.
The Tameranian warrior looked utterly stunned. Had he actually just been bested by a human? He couldn't move or escape this situation. It was true. He had just been defeated. Out of all the races in the universe, it was a human who had finally deafeted him. Not even in his wildest dreams could he imagine such a thing.
A small smile crossed the giant's face. "I yield."
Nightwing dropped the night-a-rang to the ground, before falling off the man onto his back, feeling like he had just ran ran a marathon, while pulling a two ton bus the entire way.
Galfore stood from the ground and studied the exhausted warrior. His bumgorf had chosen well indeed. Extending out his giant hand he pulled Nightwing to his feet before leading the warrior over to a bench to side of the sand cover battle ground of the arena. The two sat, and Galfore studied Nightwing until he managed to finally catch his breath.
"Koriand'r was correct in her assesment of you. You are a great warrior," he commented, a proud smile gracing his lips.
Nightwing took a huge swig of water before looking at him. "She speaks very highly of you as well. Says you're basically her real father."
Galfore's smile got just a bit wider, but he then grew serious. "I have always tried to give Koriand'r the love that she received from no one else. Her parents did not care for her, her sister is not... I believe the word is nice?." Nightwing nodded, so Galfore continued. "And her brother, Ryand'r, has been missing for many years."
He paused for a moment. "Koriand'r was very odd growing up, in fact to this day I have never met another Tameranian like her. She was very exuberant, and abundantly emotional. Because she was so different, she was shunned greatly by her father, so she spent most of her childhood days with me as I went about my business. She would float around behind me wherever I went and ask me and endless questions on whatever caught her attention."
Nightwing smiled lovingly as he imagined a tiny version of Kori floating behind this monster of a man and badgering him with question after question like she does him now. She hadn't changed at all.
"I would always do my best to explain things to her, and over our years together I grew to love her as my own. She may not be my blood, but make no mistake, she is indeed my daughter."
Nightwing continued to smile as he listened. Galfore obviously loved Kori, and knowing she had someone like this pleased him to no end.
Galfore looked at Nightwing, a sadness in his eyes. "You know of the Citadel, yes?"
His teeth gritted as he nodded. "Those monsters who..." he cut himself, not even begining able to bring himself to voice what had happened to her. "Yeah, she's told me of them."
He nodded. "When her father, the former Grand Ruler, gave her away to them my heart ached. I hated the man. He was nothing more than a coward and if the Gordanians had not killed him I would have done it myself one day."
Another pause, and the man let out a sorrow filled sigh. "When she returned to Tameran she was not the same girl she as when she had left. She did not fly often, her eyes were empty, and her smiles were fake. She was the farthest thing from the Koriand'r that I knew. Even up to the day she left for Earth she was not the same, but now she is as I remember her when she was a child, and that is because of you."
Galfore smiled at Nightwing. "I am most grateful that you have brought her joy, but I must warn you if you are ever to hurt her in any way I will not hesitate to kill you."
"I wouldn't expect anything less, but you don't have to worry. She's not only my girlfriend or chosen, but my best friend. We literally spend everyday with each other. I love her more than anything."
Galfore placed his hands on Nightwing shoulders, a smile on the giant's face. "That is good, now let us continue are training."
Nightwing's jaw dropped. "I thought we were done?"
Galfore bellowed a laugh. "Oh, you still much to learn Earth warrior. Now, let us begin."
Nightwing ground in agony. To many hours of this, and he wouldn't make it to the challenge.
Saturday, February 2nd 9:00 PM - Kori's room
Normal POV
Kori and Richard stood out on her room's balcony, watching the stars twinkle faintly in the sky above. Both were silent as could be, neither wanting to discuss the reality that tomorrow morning would bring. It was the day of the challenge. The day that would decide the rest of their lives. The day they dreaded, and yet couldn't wait for.
They had danced around the conversation all day, not only them, but their friends as well. Gar had been the only one to mention anything about it and the only responses he got when he did were uneasy shifts and glances. The air was a little thicker that entire day to say the least. Everyone tried to act like it was just another day, but the fact is it just wasn't.
Richard had been the quietest out of the group. He was clearly focused and had an air of seriousness around him that boosted everyone's confidantes slightly.
Truthfully he was just acting that way for everyone else's sake. He really was just as nervous, scared, and anxious as the rest of the group.
Kori had all the faith in the world in him. After hearing that he had bested Galfore in combat, she was completely amazed. If Nightwing could handle a warrior such as Galfore than Karras should be nothing, but despite all the confidants that she had in him, their was a small part of her in the back of her mind that kept screaming 'what if?' What if he didn't win? What if he was killed? What if this was the last night they would ever spend together?
Did she really want her last night with him to be this? Standing out on a balcony and not saying a word to each other? No, she couldn't take it. There should be more than this, especially if these could possibly their last few hours together.
"Richard, let us stop this," she pleaded as she looked over at him.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Stop what?"
She motioned between them. "This. I believe in you with all my heart, but what if this is our last night together? Our last few hours? When the morning sun rises it shall be time for the challenge. Do you wish to spend those hours like this?"
His face softened and a sigh escaped. "No, I'm just trying to make this as easy as possible on you."
"Well, you are not making it the easy, you are making it harder. If we stand here and do not speak, do not touch, it is like you are already gone." A tear spilled over, and for the first time that day someone showed real emotion.
Richard couldn't imagine how hard this was on her. Working under Batman, he had been trained to remove all emotions from the situation in order to think clearly and rationally, but that wasn't Kori. If Kori was ever the rational one in the room shit had hit the fan. Like Galfore said, she was emotional.
He opened his arms to her. "Come here, beckoned." She fell into them and he held her firmly to him. "I'm not going anywhere, Kori. Tomorrow this will be over and we can go back to Earth, get married, have children, get old, and whatever else comes along the way.
"That sounds nice," she replied, her voice muffled by his bare chest.
"Yeah, it really does." He glanced at the bed in the room. Both of them had been avoiding because they knew that the bed brought sleep, and sleep brought the morning. Richard, forgetting about all that, lifted her and on instinct her legs wrapped around his waist.
He carried her to the bed where he laid her down before following her onto it. No more words were spoken that night. None were needed...
Sunday, February 3rd 10:00 AM - Tameran grand arena
Normal POV
Nightwing sat on a bench in a room that reminded him of the football locker room at Jump City High. His eyes were closed behind his mask and his head was bowed. Deeps breaths were inhaled before being released a moment later. He was centering his mind, shutting off the person and becoming the hero, something Batman always seemed to do in a blink of an eye.
Kori and his friends would be watching from a secluded balcony high above the battle ground. He knew how nervous they were, especially Kori. She had been pacing across their room nearly all morning, babbling things in Tameranian that he had no chance of understanding. She only calmed thanks to a little help from Raven, but even then she could still qualify as an emotional wreck.
He could hear the Tameranian crowd cheering loudly. He knew most believed they were about to see a massacre, but he was going to have to disappoint them. He had to win this, there was no other option.
Nightwing's attention was captured when Galfore entered the room, looking quite serious. "It is time," he said.
Nightwing stoicly nodded before standing and walking over to the man.
Galfore placed his hand on Nightwing's shoulder. "You are ready, yes?"
"More than ever."
The man looked him directly in his masked eyes. "Do not let her down."
"I leave everything I have out there."
Galfore nodded. "Then let us go."
The two men exited to the room before making their way down a tunnel like hallway with the bright light of the outside at it's end.
"When you hear your name please exit the tunnel and step to the center of the arena," Galfore instructed, and receiving a nod form Nightwing, made his way out.
When the crowd that numbered in the hundreds of thousands saw him enter the arena's battle ground, they erupted into an array of cheers. Galfore glanced up at one of the arena's balconies to find Kori in her royal attire staring nervously down at him. He was happy that her friends were surrounding her. She didn't need to be alone right now.
Glafore refocused on his assigned duty and turned his attention the crowd. "People of Tameran, we are here today for a challenge that the winner of shall have the right to marry our Grand Ruler." Galfore turned to the tunnel on his left where he could see Karras leaning up against it's wall.
A low growl escaped him. "Our first contestant has royal claim as spoken by the High Council. I now introduce Prince Karras."
A smirking, shirtless Karras stepped into the stadium and the crowd exploded. He twirled the spear he had in his hand a few times as he glanced up Kori and winked.
She just growled and clenched Cyborg's wrist harder. He was so glad he didn't have nerve endings at the moment.
With Karras now in the center of the arena and now prepared for combat, Galfore looked back to the tunnel to his right, finding Nightwing standing with his bo staff already in hand. A smile crossed his face. The Earth warrior was clearly all buisness. "And now," he began, "I introduce Nightwing of Earth, the chosen of our Grand Ruler."
Nightwing hearing his name stepped out into the light of the arena. There was a mixed reaction from the crowd, some cheering, other reamaing silent. Nightwing heard nothing. All his attention was fixated Karras. He couldn't wait to wipe that smirk off his face.
As he centered himself in the arena, he looked up to the balcony to see Kori smiling nervously down out him. He could see her mouth move saying something in the area of 'I love you, N'laene.'
He gave her a reassuring smile before narrowing his eyes and turning back to Karras.
Galfroe who stood in between them, began to speak again. "This challenge shall only come to an end when one of you is dead or gives up. Is that understood?"
Both silently nodded as they stared each other down, like hungry wolves.
"Good. Prince Karras, are you ready?"
"Of course."
"Nightwing of Earth?"
Nightwing just nodded.
Galfore took a step back. "Then let the challenge begin," he bellowed and the crowd erupted even though the vast majority had no idea what he said, but his actions were probably clue enough.
Karras instantly thrusted his spear straight at Nightwing's head, but the hero back flipped away from it.
Karras took flight, but Nightwing took notice that his flight wasn't nearly as smooth and fluid as kori's was.
The prince darted and Nightwing spear first, but he rolled under the attack, managing to land a brutal kick right in Karras' gut as he did.
Karras lost control of his flight and crashed roughly to the ground. Before he even could make it to his feet Nightwing was attacking him with array of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows.
Karras fought to dodge the assault, but he found it difficult. The human was quick. Becoming increasingly frustrated, Karras lunged toward Nightwing, sucessfully tackling him to the ground. As he forefully landed back first he lost his grip on his bo staff, making the situation a lot worse than it normally would be, especially considering Karras was still armed with his weapon.
Up on the balcony, Kori released Cyborg's wrist and grabbed ahold of the balcony's metal railing, it almost instanly being crushed like a soda can in her hand.
The Tameranian raised his spear before thrusting it toward Nightwing's head. Nightwing managed to dodge the blow causing the spear to stick into the ground.
A punch followed, but Nightwing was unable to dodge this one. His head bounced forcefully of this sandy ground. Pain coursed through him and his vision clouded. He knew he couldn't take another blow like that or it would crack his skull. Remaining focused, despite the blood running down his face, he waited for Karras' next punch, which didn't take long to come.
Nightwing pinned the fist in between the hand of one of his arms and the elbow of his other just before the blow made contact. Using his speed and Brazilian Jujitsu training, he locked Karras into a brutal arm bar.
The prince's teeth cringed under the pain, but it was going to take a lot more than a simple arm bar to break him. Using his strength Karras stood to his feet, pulling Nightwing along with him. In one forceful motion Karras slung Nightwing, sending him flying through the air at least twenty yards before sliding across the sandy ground another ten. When he had hit the ground all his wind escaped him, leaving him momentarily incapacitated.
Smirking, Karras pulled his spear from the ground before approaching Nightwing, fully prepared to end this futal battle.
Nightwing saw him coming, but he just couldn't move yet. He glanced up at the balcony. The Flash, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were shouting at him, pleading with him to stand, Bee and Raven were looking on breathlessly, and Kori, the goddess he was lucky enough to have met, the girl who changed his entire life, was crying.
He thought of Bruce, his father, the words that he had said to him just before he had left. "I love you son, I know you can do this," he mumbled to himself as he reflected. He thought of Babs, Alfred, Selina, Tim, even Jason. All the people he loved. He wasn't ready to give them up, and the Karras guy wasn't going to take them away from them. A fire began to burn inside him, one like he had never felt. This would not end yet.
Karras rose the spear high into the air, the blade of it reflecting light into his eyes. Karras, with all his force lunged the spear downward.
A scream from Kori entered Nightwing's ears. He had to move! In a split second Nightwing rolled away from the attack, once again causing the spear to be thrusted into the ground. Before Karras was able to remove it once more, Nightwing was to his feet and through a vicious back kick that caught Karras directly in the chin.
The Tameranian stumbled backwards, but before he could recover from the blow, Nightwing spun in th air, and with all his force, delivered a monstrous spin kick that made contact with Karras' temple.
He hit the ground with a thud, and the next thing he new, something sharp was poking him in the throat. He blinked open his eyes to find that Nightwing had claimed his spear and was now standing over him.
"Yield," Nightwing demanded as he thrusted to spear slightly, sending a sensation of pain coursing through Karras' body.
When Karras said nothing another more powerful thrust came, managing to draw blood. "I yield," Karras screamed.
Galfore who stood off to the side bellowed, "the challenge is over, Nightwing of Earth is your victor."
The crowd sat in stund silence for a moment. Did a mere human just defeat a Tameranian? Suddenly they stood to their feet, erupting into cheers. He had earned their respect to say the least.
Nightwing took a deep breath. It was finally over. Everything was finally over. He tossed the weapon aside and turned to look at his beautiful Kori. Despite the fact she was crying, she was jumping up and down and clapping with that billion kilowatt smile on her face that he loved so much.
He laughed at her. He couldn't wait to return home, with no more interruptions they were free to spend the rest of their lives with each other.
Fate had other plans.
He had learned many things from Batman, but one lesson stood above all the other at the moment. Never turn your back on your opponent. He should have listened.
Karras embarrassed by his defeat, and angered that he had lost Kori and the throne, grabbed the spear at his side, and trusted straight up at Nightwing's back.
From the balcony above the Flash saw this, and with a breath of "oh, no", ran as fast as he could from the balcony down through corridors to the arena.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't fast enough.
By the time his feet reached the sand, the spear was protruding through the front of Nightwing's chest, red blood covering it's tip.
The Flash watched in utter horror as his best friend since he was ten, fell to his knees before toppling over onto his side. He was only vaguely aware on the gasps from the crowd.
On the balcony, everyone's eyes were wide. What had just happend? Nightwing won. This isn't fair! It was over! Tears feeling her eyes Kori flew down to the arena ground, landing at Nightwing's side. "Nononono, Nightwing," she said shaking him. "Baby, please."
No answer.
"Nightwing!," she yelled as she shook him more forcefully.
Again no answer.
She ripped the mask off his face to find his barely open eyes glassy.
"Richard! answer me this instant!," She pleaded, her tears now falling like a Summer rain.
Nothing.
Wally was at her side in seconds. On his knees, he slapped Richard's face lightly. "Hey buddy, wake up."
Still nothing.
The Flash's heart began to beat rapidly as he slapped Richard again. "Damn it, wake up!"
Wally through his mask off as warm tears fell from his eyes. He checked his pulse, and his breath hitched. No, it couldn't be. Not now. Not Like this.
"What? Is he alive?," Kori asked demandingly.
Wally's eyes shut tightly as he broke down.
That was all the answer Kori needed. Her heart shattered at that very second. Tears fell endlessly and she was only vaguely aware of the rest of her friends dropping to their knees beside her, all breaking down beside Raven and Vic, who were trying to remain as calm and rational as possible, but failing miserably. She didn't even notice Galfore's giant hand on her shoulder.
Karras stood to his feet, a satisfied smirk on his face. "I told you I would kill him."
Wrong thing to say.
With glowing eyes of pure rage, Kori let out a feral scream before darting at him like a missile in flight. She rammed her shoulder directly into his stomach, crashing him into the wall behind him with such force that it was like being hit by a train. She pinned him against it by his throat squeezing every bit of life out of him.
"You have took everything from me. My best friend. My chosen. My entire life. It was over. He defeated you, but you attacked him like a coward. You do not deserve life," she roared.
Karras looked at her through terrified eyes, unable to say a word.
With all her strength she squeezed Karras' neck until it snapped before tossing his lifeless body to the ground and once again falling to her knees, leaning her head against the arena's wall.
She cried, and cried, and cried. But the tears couldn't bring the man she loved with every piece of her soul back.
I promised feels, I wasn't kidding.
