(A/N)- Done for Bad Things Happen Bingo, request was for "Backhand Slap" with RobStar. Thank you to my friend Ava's Discord for helping me with the idea. :)
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: There would be so much less Batman if I owned DC. Alas.
Controlled
Robin stepped back slowly, his hands raised, his heart beating apprehensively, staring ahead at the scene before him.
In the darkness just past the overhead light stood a female silhouette with glowing green eyes. Robin gulped, however, because it was not Starfire's bright, burning normal green, but an eerie, washed out, pale green-blue, almost ghostly.
He knew immediately what had happened in a horrible instant and cursed himself for letting her get too far ahead of him in their chase.
"Star?" he called, even though by now he knew he was only talking to an empty shell. "Hey. Hey," he called again, more frantically. He crossed the room and put hands on her shoulders, shaking her a bit. His eyes searched her neck, checking, hoping for the sight of one of the Puppet King's smaller, more "hands-on" mind control devices. "Starfire?"
"She can't hear you anymore, Boy Wonder," the Puppet King's reedy, thin voice called from out of the shadows.
The diminutive wooden villain stepped into the circle of overhead light on Robin's right side, one fist clutched around his new control device—smaller than before, not as many buttons—the other lifting up to present him with something dangling on the strings clutched in his fingers.
Robin's heart sank as he saw Starfire's puppet double.
"She is under my control now," the Puppet King bragged.
Robin let his hands drop off Starfire's shoulders, horrified, his worst fears confirmed. A moment later he steeled himself in resolve, narrowing his eyes at the Puppet King.
"Not for long," he said icily.
He started to lean into a charge for the villain.
In the corner of his eye he caught Starfire drawing her arm back. He quickly processed what was happening and had just enough time to grimace and brace.
SWACK!
The impact of the back of her palm making contact with his cheek struck like a heavy swinging mallet, exploding pain inside his head in a white flash. Robin felt himself weightless, flying across the room.
He hit the warehouse wall with a solid slam!, the rock and concrete cracking and splintering from the impact.
"Hng—!" came the pained sound that managed to escape him, as he clenched his teeth and tried desperately to stay conscious through the reeves of ringing, dizzying pain clanging through him, bouncing off the insides of his head.
His vision popped and flashed, white and black spots cluttering his blurry line of sight. His ears buzzed, a tinny ringing that throbbed in time with the stabs of pain digging into his skull.
"I am sorry!" came Starfire's voice from the puppet, squeaking and tiny, full of distress.
Robin sat, digging hands into the floor to anchor himself, heaving in breath. He squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head, only to groan again when that brought about a fresh round of pain.
"Destroy him," came the Puppet King's order. "He will not interfere again."
A shot of chagrin and dread went through him and Robin looked up to see Starfire's body flinging towards him.
He tried to push to his feet, fumbled, failed twice and lost precious seconds as he braced his back against the wall and scraped hands and heels.
With inches to go and Starfire's fist barreling down on him he finally managed to fling himself forward and away, landing to the side and rolling.
CRUNCH! Plaster and stone crumbled under Starfire's fist, the wall where Robin had been breaking off into chunks of rubble.
Robin forced himself upright, swaying dizzily as the rush of motion spun his ears. Even as he turned to face towards Starfire she was already upon him, and Robin clumsily ducked and sidestepped the first two swings before the third caught him hard in the shoulder.
He stumbled back, off-balance, almost falling over. Starfire caught him by the edge of his cape and yanked him back towards her, driving her fist into his ribs.
Robin cried out sharply, feeling bone crack and sharp pain blossom.
"Sorry!" Starfire's voice yelled out from the puppet again.
Another blow to his temple staggered him. Starfire's leg kicked and displaced his ankle, sending him to the floor again. Robin muffled a cry as he landed on his broken ribs, forcing himself to get back up again.
Think, think, he had to think or he was absolutely going to get his ass kicked.
He let instinct take over, falling back on self-preservation drilled into him through hours and hours of training. He was slower than he liked, moving awkwardly with his injuries, but managed to dodge or deflect the next couple of heavily-thrown strikes.
He knew he wasn't going to be able to keep it up forever, though, so he inched back towards the circle of light, letting Starfire drive him towards the Puppet King.
His head protested, begging him to just pass out for one moment, but Robin stubbornly kept retreating and retreating, until with a deliberate side-step to let Starfire lunge past him, he spun on his heel and extended arms out in a flying tackle.
The Puppet King had time to widen his eyes, wooden mouth dropping a bit in shock.
-TT-
Moments later Starfire's arms were around him; she was sobbing profusely into his shoulder, warbling apologies between hiccups. Her puppet self, the remote, and the Puppet King all lay scattered and lifeless on the floor behind them.
Robin gripped her close and faded into her scent, his adrenaline rush petering out and leaving him exhausted and aching.
"I hated it so much, watching you be hurt at my hands!" she was weeping.
"'s'not your fault..." he mumbled, his pounding head starting to demand more attention.
She pulled back, messily smearing the sides of her hands under her eyes. "We should-should call the others," she said, slowly beginning to compose herself.
"Yeah..." Robin agreed tiredly. Now that the danger was past the floor was looking awfully comfortable. "Tell Raven. Probably have... concussion and... broken ribs."
Starfire caught him as he was starting to fall forward, easing him back on his knees again. She tucked her hand behind his head and cradled him to her, a silent thank you for the pain and effort he'd gone through to save her.
Robin rested his cheek against her neck and was just happy she was okay.
(A/N)- Soft RobStar is Soft.
If you enjoyed this offering, please do feel free to check out the full offerings of my Bad Things Happen Bingo. :)