CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"Miss Lane?"
Lois looked up from her computer for the umpteenth time that morning, dark eyes glaring. She was considered to be a workaholic, because she hated to be interrupted while working on a hot story, and she desperately considered Lex Luthor's impending run for the Presidency to be a hot story. However, instead of finding some Daily Planet photographer, editor, or reporter looming over her, she came face to face with a young woman. She had a delicate look about her—perfect, smooth skin, full, red lips, a model's nose, and a graceful arch to her slender brows. It was a face she recognized.
The stunned reporter shot to her feet.
"Kara? Kara Evans?" She had read Evans' books, and it was a quite a surprise to see the young novelist take the time to look up Lois Lane. They may share similar professions, but Lois couldn't recall ever reading much about her in the Daily Planet, save for a few reviews. She wondered if Kara had ever talked to the media before.
The reporter's imaginary warning flag shot up. What was going on?
The author stared at her a moment, and then a tiny smile appeared on her delicate face. "That's me."
"Well, what can I do for you?"
"I…think I may have a story for you," she said, her cheeks darkening ever so slightly. She approached and held out a small object wrapped in pink silk. Lois frowned and glanced to Kara before taking the bundle and laying the fabric open.
It hit her like a ton of bricks. Lois almost felt as though she would double over from the shock.
"Where did you get this?"
"Some psycho has one of the Teen Titans held hostage. They're on the rooftop right now," Kara replied.
"Right now?! You're sure?"
Kara nodded and grabbed her arm. "Of course I'm sure. Come on, I'll show you."
Lois dropped the object down onto the desk and let the novelist guide her out the door. They raced for the nearest elevator. Kara jammed the up button and looked to Lois. The reporter was breathing heavily. With mounting concern, Lois' mind raced.
She thought about the little, compact-shaped item laying on her desk. The blue T on the cover had indicated a member of Teen Titans had been ensnared. She wondered who the hostage was and who had taken the risk of holding one of the Titans. Surely they would have realized Superman wouldn't be far off.
The elevator arrived and Lois joined Kara inside.
A tingle of apprehension rose up the reporter's spine as the door slid shut. It occurred to her that they were being totally irrational. This certainly wasn't the way to stop any sort of kidnapping or hostage situation. They had to contact the authorities.
Lois reached out to punch the elevator's emergency stop. Kara's hand gripped her wrist, and the reporter gasped. "What are you doing?"
"I can't let you do that."
"We can't just go walking into a hostage situation. It's too dangerous."
Kara smirked. "Just for you, you little bitch."
The reporter stumbled back a little. Her eyes widened. "Just what do you know about all this? What's going on?"
Kara did not answer. Her grin widened. An instant later, her fist whipped around and smashed into the reporter's face. Lois Lane's world went black.
* * *
"Daily Planet."
Superman frowned. "You're sure?"
"We'll find Robin there. Rancor won't be far off."
"All right. We'll meet you there."
The moment Superman cut the connection with Batman, he turned and sped toward the Daily Planet, the home of Metropolis' primary newspaper. Hawkgirl and J'Onn fell to his side, grim determination set on their faces.
"We're going to the Planet," Superman said. "I'll contact the others and tell them where to meet us."
The trio sped across the morning sky. As the noon hour approached, the first wave of traffic began to hit the streets for the lunch hour. At the Planet, most of the higher-ups would already be out for lunch, so they could be back before the regular staff arrived. Still, people kept irregular shifts, and irregularity was typical for the people of Metropolis. Superman knew this above all else. While many people he cared about would be off at noon, that didn't mean the building wouldn't be full. On the contrary, he expected a lot of people there.
A reporter was on duty around the clock, very much like a superhero.
Juggling two identities and their respective career choices, Superman knew this better than anyone ever would.
"What's on your mind?"
He glanced to Hawkgirl. "I think we're in trouble. If that madman's got his sights set on a battle at the Planet, a lot of people could get hurt. I don't want to fight him there."
"A lot of people could get hurt no matter where we fight."
"I know. But that doesn't make me any less worried."
Hawkgirl smiled a little. "We'll do this, Superman. I promise we'll do this right."
He nodded, but didn't return her smile. Touching the communicator at his ear, the Kryptonian started to adjust the frequency to John Stewart's communicator.
As they closed in on the Daily Planet, just before he could reach the right setting, he was surprised to hear someone else interrupt his train of thought.
"Uh, Superman? It is Starfire."
The Man of Steel frowned. "Starfire? What is it?"
"Green Lantern has taken Cyborg to your watchtower," she said. Her voice was heavy with concern. Superman understood; she was the only member of her team still among the defense against Rancor. "Where am I to meet you?"
"The Daily Planet rooftop." He deactivated the link and continued onward.
J'Onn stared ahead at the Daily Planet and frowned.
"Something's not right," he announced.
Superman glanced to the Martian. "What?"
"Change of plans," he replied, and changed his trajectory. Soon he was headed for the middle of the Daily Planet, rather than toward the rooftop. "Follow me."
* * *
Batman brought his vehicle to a screeching halt in the alley opposite the main entrance of the Daily Planet and stepped out into the daylight. He peered upward, but he would never be able to see the top of the building from here. Rancor was up there somewhere; he was sure of it. That did not mean he would be able to see him. After all, Batman had made a living out of deception, just as the Dreamwalker. He would be there, otherwise the signal from Robin's communicator would be elsewhere.
Being the lunch hour, Batman wasn't surprised to see the crowds of people swarming here and there. He didn't feel like going through the front entrance anyway. Turning, he moved deeper into the alley and approached a fire exit. From his utility belt he took out a lock pick and slipped it into the keyhole.
He felt the attack before it came, in the shifting vibrations beneath his feet, in the sudden gust of air that lifted his cape. His eyes widened as he realized who it was.
He spun around to see the crimson blur approach…
"Flash!"
…and dropped like a rock, unconscious before he hit the ground.
* * *
The rooftop of the Daily Planet was quiet, save for the gentle breeze that caressed the rooftop and the cooing pigeons that roosted against the edge of the rooftop. Starfire stepped out of the sky onto the blacktop and looked about, a frown on her face, and began to immediately investigate.
"Hello? Friends? Hello?"
Where had everyone gone? She thought she had actually been behind schedule, but by the looks of it she had missed the battle entirely.
She approached the bronze globe, gazing up in wonder. If not for the situation, she may have found peace here. She would have to ask Superman if he ever used this rooftop as a private sanctuary. No doubt the Daily Planet was a great place from which to view the entire city. For a man like Superman, it was certainly a place he had come. After all, he had lived in the city for nearly a decade.
"I thought I might find you here."
Starfire froze in place. She heard the slow footfalls of her dearest friend, the object of her affection, as he approached. Her eyes clenched shut, he waited until he came to a stop directly behind her.
"Apparently our little trail worked out quite well. I'm glad you're here, Starfire."
The Tamaranian trembled, her fists clenched tightly at her side. "Robin? I do not want to fight you."
"We've gotta do this, you know." He was quiet for a moment, waiting for a response. She had none for him. "Now we can do it the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. I really don't care. The point is, Star, we're going to do it, and you have no say in the matter other than how we do it. Understood?"
She opened her eyes and gazed to her friend. The trickle of blood running down his right leg sparked the anger within her. Her eyes glowed as her rage reached its peek in her. She looked about for Rancor, but she did not see him.
"Hold still, Star," the Boy Wonder continued. "I'm just going to take this damn thing off, and then we can talk…"
She felt his hands against her head. He felt for her headband. Starfire knew it wouldn't be easy to get to because she had intentionally interlaced her red hair around it. She grinned at her own ingenuity and dropped to a knee. She kicked out and swept a purple boot low along the rooftop and through Robin's legs, just above the ankle. The Boy Wonder hadn't been prepared for the move, and so he dropped like a rock.
Starfire gasped delightfully as she sensed her opportunity to recover her friend. She reached for the neural inhibitor tucked into the elastic of her skirt and dove for him.
But Robin was too quick for her. He rolled away from her, onto his back, and lifted his feet into the air. With a powerful kick, he sent himself off the ground and landed firmly on his feet.
The punch he threw connected solidly and sent the girl skidding across the rooftop. As hard as she tried, she couldn't keep her grip of the neural inhibitor. The metal disk slipped from her fingers and dropped onto the rooftop at the Boy Wonder's feet. He stared down at it, considering, and shook his head.
"God dammit, Star."
He lifted his foot and stomped on it.
Starfire's heart sank. As she pushed herself to her knees and gazed up, she saw his hateful eyes locked on her own. Tears welled up in her eyes, making it hard to see.
She heard him draw his staff. The familiar, metallic click as the weapon slid to its full length made her tremble. She bowed her head and waited until she saw Robin's boot inches from her face. He stood over her, his breath slow and rhythmic, and reached down to ensnare a fistful of red hair.
"Guess we're gonna have to do this the hard way."
"Robin," she murmured. He paused, briefly lowering his staff. She licked her lips as she stared at the ground, as though groveling at his feet. "You once told me that in our line of work, we may have to make sacrifices in order to do good, and sometimes those sacrifices may be too much to bear."
Slowly she looked up, and her eyes, again, began to glow. Bright, green light reflected in Robin's face, though her friend did not seem deterred. He merely smirked and lifted the staff again. "Damn you, Rancor," she whispered under her breath, "for forcing me to make this choice."
She unleashed a powerful starbolt toward her friend, but gasped in shock as he flipped back over the ball of energy, caught himself with one hand against the rooftop after it passed under him, and leapt back toward her. She gasped as she saw the green boot barreling toward her.
Starfire knew there would be no escaping. When Robin took aim for a target, he seldom missed his mark, and he was definitely her better in terms of hand-to-hand combat. She simply waited, as if frozen in place. He had her, and she knew it. He knew it. There would be no escape.
Time stood still. Starfire could not breathe.
Why had it come down to this? After all they had been through together, Robin and Starfire's friendship should not have been forced to end on such hideous terms, but the Dreamwalker had found a way to do it nonetheless. She had been here just barely over a year now, and her sense of friendship was dead.
She only prayed Robin could live without her, for she knew she couldn't live without him.
And then, something came out of the roof between them. Something unexpected and large. For the briefest of moments, hope soared, attempting to mend Starfire's wounded heart. Time returned to normal as she saw realization in the Boy Wonder's wide eyes. She gasped as the Martian Manhunter phased back to his solid form, held out a hand, and ensnared Robin's boot.
"I am sorry," J'Onn said as he spun and dumped the Boy Wonder into an unceremonious heap onto the concrete. Then, he went to a knee and slapped something high onto the nape of the boy's neck. When his hand came away, Starfire saw a second metallic disk sticking out of the base of her friend's skull. J'Onn gazed to her. "Are you all right, Starfire?"
Tears began to pour down her cheeks, a torrential flood of emotion.
The boy pushed himself onto his knees, groaning.
"Robin," she murmured, her eyes locked on him.
He turned to her, shivering. "Oh…Star. I…I'm so sorry, Starfire." He wrapped his arms around himself, trembling in a fetal position, no doubt overwhelmed by fear. He glanced to the Martian. "Whatever you did…thanks."
The Tamaranian fell into him, her arms carefully embracing her dearest friend. They cried, clinging to one another, as J'Onn watched over them. Robin held her close as her tears caressed his skin. "It's okay Starfire. Everything will be okay."
In that moment, a door behind the Martian burst open and three more figures rushed onto rooftop. Two of them, Robin knew. Superman and Hawkgirl approached quickly, eyes wide. They had known that there hadn't been much time. She could tell by their concern and relief that they had thoroughly expected to find at least one body on the rooftop before their arrival.
They didn't know how close they had come to actually living that nightmare.
Hawkgirl knelt at their side, inspecting both of the teens with something resembling maternal concern, though she was careful not to intrude. She shot a look to J'Onn but said nothing. The Martian simply turned and looked toward the north.
"This is not over," he announced.
A sinister laugh boomed out into the night.
Robin released Starfire and rose to his feet, hands balled tightly into fists.
The red dwarf hissed through gritted teeth.
The Boy Wonder spoke with the same dangerous sneer.
Simultaneously, the two uttered the Dreamwalker's name: "Rancor."