XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXJAYXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Well I was likely screwed in a few ways. Starfire was obviously aware that I was stealing and apparently whatever I had stole was a weapon to be used against her. I was definitely out of the running for boyfriend of the year at this point. It had been hard to leave her coughing and bleeding, but there was nothing I could do to help her besides save her from the laser that was programmed for her. I mean a whole room with obsessive notes and videos of your girlfriend was quite disturbing. The fact that it was practically an arsenal of weapons to use against her and cut her open for an autopsy made me want to throw whatever this gun was into the ocean. I couldn't back out of the deal though. I needed the money and I had already gone so far, why not get the actual pot of gold at the end of the shit rainbow.
I wouldn't completely give it up though. Bird Boy had stuck a tracker to the back of my belt. He needs to get some that do not flash it is quite a giveaway in a pitch black room. I had affixed it to the bottom of the gun I had been ordered to select out the torture chamber for my girlfriend. If I had not been interrupted I likely would not of blown up the place with the remaining Xplosives I had. Might have been not in my instructions, but it was such a trip knowing people wanted to hurt Starfire. Who would want to take out that ray of sunshine and happiness in million's of people's lives. It was even more concerning to see it at Wayne Corp since that was a huge well respected company. Who would want to see her orange blood spill. It was a reminder that she wasn't quite human, but she was still a person who hurt and cared. She was even a person with allergies. I hadn't messed up Robin too bad and he had been distracted by Starfire's misery too.
I hoped she was okay. I knew once she was wrapped in Raven's bubble she would be less effected, but she was still injuried and betrayed. Fuck I don't know if I would be able to get out of this hot water. I didn't want to hurt her and I didn't want to lose her, but both those things were a risk as soon as I took this job. Me lying about where I was wasn't good, but me getting caught by her and stealing something like a weapon meant to hurt her was a harder thing to get forgiveness. My adrelanine was still high as I went to the meeting point so the crushing existential crisis had not fully hit, but I knew the shit storm was coming. I was not being directly followed, which I assumed was due to them tending Starfire and processing that torture dungeon of a laboratory. Cyborg had tried a sonic wave trap, but I had rolled out of it before it could compromise my balance. I was sure at least Robin would make an appearance at some point, but let me get to the true person who needed to be stopped.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSTARXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I was not the okay. I was in a spiral of memories of being experimented on with my sister and the betrayal of Jay lying to me. I might not of approved of him stealing, but the honesty would have softened the blow even if I was unable to talk him out of it. I was wrongly under the impression we shared more truth than lies now. I had opened up about my fears and what they were based in, and he his. Maybe there were more lies than I was able to sort through.
My leg also hurt. I had made the Titans all evacuate the room as soon as the smoke started to rise from the bloody dissolving metals. I assumed that humans were delicate to such vapors and I believe it was the right call since Beast Boy had started to get a bloody nose. I was also very grateful to be away from the Chromium. It made me a hazard. We went up to the roof of the next building over to regroup.
"I still have a tracker on him which means he hasn't noticed it yet. It looks like he is heading North." Robin said looking at his communicator.
"Does anyone know what exactly he took?" Beast Boy asked since he had missed most of the action.
"No, but whatever it is it's meant to take out Starfire. A lot of things in there were. " Raven added to the conversation and gave me a look that told me she was reading my emotions loud and clear. Whoops. I didn't know what to do about them enough to dampen them from her empathy. The memories made it harder to reign in all the fear and sorrow.
"I didn't get a chance to scan it completely, but it seemed to be a sort of void to my scanners." Cyborg said.
"It is likely a radiation syphon to attempt to drain my energy." I added since that would make the most sense. If I did not have energy I would not fight any other attacks upon my body. The trick had been done before in prison, but never to an extreme enough point I could die of light starvation. I worried that this gun would not have the same consideration. I had been meant to be kept alive then, now it seemed by the surgical tools might not have the same priority.
"I don't get this? Why would Wayne Corp be developing weapons against Star? I thought Batman would, but why here." Beast Boy asked.
"Batman has contracts with Wayne Corp…the fact he had them produced here in Jump signals he wanted them close to Star in case.." Robin trailed off and I knew he didn't want to say the end of that sentence to besmirch his mentor anymore.
"I am just worried that these might of already gotten into the wrong hands. On the black market who knows which villain could have this." Raven said and started pacing on the roof. "This is a threat to Starfire that could come from anyone."
"Well we just have to make sure we get it back and destroy it first. I mean Starfire's blood did major carnage to the bulk of the lab and we can wipe the rest, but we need to recalibrate on Red X." Robin said and shared the tracking information to all of our communicators.
"Let us go." I said wanting to channel my negativity into an objective before the hole became too big for me to function as a hero. I needed to be distracted and motivated.
"Wait Star, if this weapon is meant for you shouldn't you wait this out?" Cyborg said and I knew he was thinking more logically than I was at the moment.
"You are definitely right, friend Cyborg. Unfortunately it has made this more personal and I cannot." I said and felt the surge of righteous fury enter my being. It burnt off some of my weakness and I felt ready to claim back some of my warrior pride. My sneeze attack finished, I needed to confront Jay.
"Alright, but stay out of the weapon's range. None of us want to see what it can do." Robin said and hopped off the roof to his awaiting R-cycle he had summoned.
"Seriously, if this is too much for you we can handle it." Raven added and I gave her a strong nod of understanding before taking off myself. I knew where he was heading, I had been there before. Though I would likely be doing more than Stargazing.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXJAYXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I had given "Extinguish" the coordinates to my meeting spot and an approximate time of dawn. It seemed like that was going to be spot on when I made it there. I felt shitty about the deal, but I was here and he had minutes before dawn to show up. I was right about the fact as soon as my blood wasn't rushing from the chase my thoughts would start to crush me. I took the tracker off the gun and put it on the ground before kicking some leaves on top of it. If it was an engineer on this project I didn't want something to be obvious that I hadn't been as clan as he requested. A stocky obviously white male hiked up through the trees to meet me minutes later a little out of breath. He wore a black ski mask which was so typical and kinda unimpressive at this point.
"Mission completed?" he asked. He didn't even have a voice modulator he sounded like a sad dad. What a chump.
"Money first." I said and twirled the gun in my fingers. I knew it was dangerous, but I wanted to make it clear that I was comfortable keeping it if the money did not transfer.
"Stop that." He ordered since the gun would momentarily point at him. He whipped out his phone and I stopped. He showed the transaction receipt and I nodded. I set the gun on the ground between us and wondered how long it would taken for the Titans to get there. Should I stall?
"What does it do?" I asked as he stroked it in a super creepy fashion.
"Saves the world." He said and a part of me wondered if I should just glue him to a tree since the Titans weren't here yet. A sudden roar was heard from the road. It wasn't a tiger or lion. It sounded like a cat, but not something I recognized. I expected a Beast Boy to appear from the trees, but a growl was uttered with a Starbolt shooting from the trees behind him. It kicked up a smoke screen of dust. I had heard Starfire purr and playfully growl when I teased her, but this was something aggressive. This was a pissed off Starfire I did not have much of a chance against. I teleported out of the dust cloud and way to the other side into a tree for some cover. He shot the gun in the direction the bolt came from and I felt panic strike me until another roar came from behind me. She shot a burst into the air and it acted as a flare since a hawk instantly swooped down to claw at the person's eyes and made him drop the gun. Robin quickly came on to the scene and captured both the weapon and cuffed the perp. I stayed hidden as he assigned the Titans to look for me. They might find my bike, but I was quite concealed.
"You are in trouble." I heard whispered in my ear. I almost fell out of the tree with the fear of angry Starfire right next to my ear. She of course had spotted me and hovered inside the leaves that were hiding me well.
"I am guessing a sorry isn't going to be enough." I said and wondered if falling from this height and hurting myslef would be a better strategy to get sympathy or was she ready to push me off herself.
"Not right now." She said and the snarl she had on her face was really fucking scary. I had fucked up big. She looked like she could eat me if she wanted to.
"I'm sorry." I said anyway and meant it. Her face fell into something more Starfire like, but still a frown.
"You will need to provide a better apology and explanation." She said and her hand reached out to squeeze mine. "I moved your bike to the other side of the road."
"You're letting me go?" I asked a little surprised.
"Please, Jason." She said and I understood she did not want me to be caught.
"As you wish, Cutie." I said and placed a kiss on her hand through the mask. She gave me a smile that wasn't all the way there and I quickly teleported away to honor her gift of freedom. I got on my bike and kept driving as the sun fully rose.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXROBINXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
We had gotten the weapon and the buyer yet Red X escaped as always. It was a hard loss since he had removed the tracker when he made it to the site. I had put the buyer in police hands since taking him to the tower was unneeded. He was human, most likely a psychopath, but human enough that he could be contained in a normal prison. He kept shouting that he needed to Extinguish alien life on earth. Starfire did not need to hear that. I was a little surprised when she climbed on the back of the R cycle when I got on, but I expect this whole experience must of affected her ability to fly home safely.
The ride back I barely felt her behind me since she held on to the seat and did not speak. I might not of had Raven's empathy, but it was clear she was sad and angry. Some of that likely was directed at me, deservedly. I saw some of my direct notes on the boards of the lab. I had catalogued her allergy and Batman had really rolled with it. The autopsy set up was quite concerning along with the chains and cuffs that were similar to what she first arrived in. This weapon that was stolen appeared to be something that could both hurt Starfire and Superman which explained another point on why he had developed this tech so quickly. He was a fan of killing two birds with one stone, which was a really twisted analogy in this set up. The fact he developed them in Jump also cued that he had the desire for them to be easy to access if he did come confront Starfire. He wasn't acting in defense a lot of those weapons were meant to take an offensive battle stance. She didn't quite have an easy fix like Kryptonite, but he was creative as always. Though leaving the lab so vulnerable had been a big mistake. Now those weapons were out in the world and more people knew her weaknesses. I could not bottle back what had been released indirectly by me.
When we made it back to the Tower Starfire was despondent. She went into the elevator and didn't press any buttons. When I got in it with her she did not move or stop looking at the ground. When I had us go up to the main room she went to a sunny spot on the couch and just curled into a ball. I wasn't sure what would be a comfort to her, so I did nothing.
I had to catalogue everything we saw and write up a strong enough report to take the League meeting. Batman would have to respect a completed and perfect report even if he didn't want to. We had failed to catch the thief, but that meant his lab was vulnerable and the secret's inside already leaked. The lab contents would need to annihilated so it could not be copied and mass produced. Luckily Chromium was not a very common metal on earth and unstable so it had to be stored in labs.
In perhaps a stupid move I typed Batman a message. Defense in the wrong hands becomes Doom. It was a saying of his to justify his wariness of other heroes that relied upon gifts.I closed the chat without sending it just for my own satisfaction and got to writing potentially the most important thing I could write for Star.