Standard disclaimers apply.
CHAPTER EDITED NOV. 24, 2004: With the insight of Aria-Angel.
GUIDING STAR
Chapter Fifteen – All's Fair…
Implementing and Manufacturing the Theories
Of Dr. William N. Escher on Molecular Reconstruction
That was the title of the thesis submitted, and completed, by Joseph Greenwald, Maxwell Victoria and Jefferson Welles. They received excellent marks for their work and was nominated for Best Thesis in their graduating class. The Best Thesis title was given to someone else, but many still believe they were robbed of it.
The data pointing to their combined efforts was not readily available. University libraries and their archiving systems could not be googled, or lycosed or even yahooed. One had to hack into the library system of the university to get access to it. And even if doing so presented little problem to the experienced hacker, one first had to be aware that their system needed hacking. And when one knew what needed to be done, one had to know the exact combination of keywords. In this case, the archives were partial to the words in the title of a document, book or thesis in relation to the name of the author, or the first author, if there was more than one. So if Robin had combined William N. Escher with Jefferson Welles, he would have come up with nothing; whereas William N. Escher and Joseph Greenwald was exactly the kind of combination the archive search-function responded well to, just because Greenwald alphabetically came first among his co-authors. Typing in a student-authors' names in a group or individually would not do. The university's system was capricious. Students were not recognized by their names, they were recognized by their work. Only authors published in prestigious book-houses and professors had the privilege of being available as keywords without having to combine their names with their manuscript titles.
And given that a hacker found the information he needed, he would have to obtain a copy of the thesis in the University Library. Since Greenwald, Victoria and Welles graduated from Pennsworth University, a Western states Ivy League school, the thesis was only two hours drive away from Jump City.
It was strange that three such brilliant scientists ended up in such...
Unlikely jobs, and one of them practically unemployed...
Robin thought that there was something terribly fishy about all that. Maxwell, as it turned out, had been getting in and out of trouble for most of his life since graduating from Pennsworth. He had gambling debts and the occasional tiff with small-time loan sharks. He had suffered at least one trip to rehab for alcohol abuse. In the course of his post-graduate life, he had moved to several states, usually where he would have access to a casino. First there was Reno, and then Las Vegas, and then Atlantic City. His current residence was somewhere in Bludhaven, which made things even stranger. Obviously, he had gone out of his way to sabotage Plasmus' containment facility.
Greenwald and Welles stayed relatively clean, though their credit was just a couple of late payments shy of being classified as "bad". They had both skipped on one or two parking tickets, but had paid the fees eventually. Their insurance cost was consistent, but only because both managed not to get pulled over for moving violations.
Robin quickly made assignments. He communicated with the tower and demanded that all of them be present for conference; "Whether Cyborg's up to it or not!"
Cyborg was not up to it. His darling T-Car was still in bad shape, but he attended the meeting even if his mind was miles away.
"I want you guys to check up on Greenwald and Welles," said Robin. "Find out what you can about them, especially why they never got a break with the Big Boys. One of you should go to Pennsworth to get a copy of their thesis and ask around there, too. Their thesis adviser would be a good place to start asking questions. Study the Holi-tron files as well. You might find that information handy in your investigations. I want answers, titans. Don't stop looking until you find them, understand? I'm going to find out what the hell is going on even if it kills me."
And he was determined. Whatever this conspiracy was, it had resulted in Starfire's loss of eyesight. One way or another, he was going to make someone pay.
The titans noted the "I" instead of the "we" in Robin's orders but said nothing. When he got that way, it was best to let Starfire deal with him.
"I'm going to Bludhaven to get the dirt on Victoria," he said. "He's not supposed to be dead, so I'm hoping I could have a little chat with him. If and when I get my hands on him..."
There were muted sounds of agreement from the titans in the tower, but a small voice broke out of the tension.
"Robin, what will I do?"
"You'll be in the labs tomorrow finishing with your tests. You could ask around in Wayne Enterprises. Find out why they never hired any of these guys. They certainly fit the profile of a Wayne Enterprises scientist."
Starfire did not look the least bit pleased by the assignment, but she said nothing in front of their friends.
When they signed out, the first thing Starfire said was, "I want to go to Bludhaven with you."
Robin was prepared for it. He knew he had given Starfire a crap assignment and he knew she would have something to say about it, but he wasn't going to let her convince him to reassign her especially if had anything to do with Bludhaven. He loved her too much. "No."
"Why not?"
"Bludhaven is a dangerous place. Even the worse of Gotham's scum avoids it."
"I have heard the stories. It is the reason I wish to go with you. You do not go to a place like that alone. I may be blind, but you said I could fight. You taught me how to fight."
"You could fight when you have to. It doesn't mean you could go looking for trouble."
"I am not looking for trouble. I will be there to make sure nothing bad happens to you."
"And I am here to make sure nothing bad happens to you. You're not going."
"Richard–"
"Bludhaven is nothing like Jump City or Gotham. The kind of crooks you find in Bludhaven are the guys who would slit your throat for the twenty bucks you have in your purse and then pull you into an alley to rape you for kicks."
Starfire scoffed derisively. "As if anyone is strong enough to do such a thing to me! Even if I didn't know self-defense, I could take on such men by sheer brute force! In tens if I have to!"
"It's not like that. These guys grew up in the streets of Bludhaven and they learned to survive. If it had anything to do with strength alone then the streets would be gone of puny little crooks and filled with bouncer-type thugs. They all learned how to survive one way or another, some with brawns, but most with brains. They have ways of overcoming someone stronger than them. They probably wouldn't be able to hurt you before, when you–"
"When I could see?"
"Yes! But it's different now, Kori."
"So this is about my eyesight."
Robin sighed miserably. "I'm sorry... I just don't want you to get hurt. I couldn't bear the thought. It's such a bad place. And they could get into your head too. They could say things that could make you vulnerable, even if they've never met you before. I've been there several times and each time I leave it I tell myself that I'm never going back. It's just so awful."
An ordinary girl would have turned and left, stricken by the reality and the heart-wrenching concern in his tone, but instead of accepting any of it, Starfire's mouth straightened to a grim line.
"I am going with you. You know I could do it. You know I am ready to go out there. Don't you dare deny it, Dick Grayson. You trained me for this."
Robin's eyes narrowed to slits. He knew Starfire could be stubborn. While in the last few months she hadn't exerted her will to join the team in fighting the occasional petty villain, Robin had a feeling that the acquiescence was only temporary, and he was almost certain her stubbornness would come, full-throttle, when she believed she was ready. He knew that the reason she was so bent on going with him to Bludhaven was because she felt she could handle crooks who weren't super villains. And she made it clear enough: she was only going to protect him.
By all rights, he had trained her and he could say she was ready, but he was stubborn too, and he was hell-bent on protecting her because he loved her more than anything, and now that she knew it, he didn't have to keep that to himself. He could act like a protective boyfriend as much as he damn well pleased. He didn't care if she could handle the toughs; he didn't care if she was ready to fight beside him; he just didn't want Bludhaven's sleaze touching her.
"You have tests to finish," he said, stubbornly.
"I will tell Dr. Meridian I need another day of rest."
"Bruce will have something to say about that if he finds out, and he will find out. I don't even have to tell him."
"I urge you to tell him, Dick Grayson, so that you could prove him right; even if he sides with you on this, it won't erase the fact that your involvement with me is beginning to affect your judgment as a crime-fighter and a leader. Did he not tell you that having a woman would distract you? I know he did; he told me having a man would distract me."
Robin grit his teeth. Starfire was being tougher than he expected and he cursed Bruce for giving her that weapon. "That's not fair."
"You are not being fair."
"Kori, I'm willing to play hardball with you on this one. If you want to hear Bruce say that you couldn't go, then fine. I'll tell him and I don't care what he thinks of me. I care about you. You hear me? I'm not going to let anybody hurt you. Not in this life, or even the next one." He thought that would do it. He thought she would accept that, but he underestimated her.
She stepped forward, her shoulders tense with determination. "Go ahead and let Bruce tell me not to go, and maybe the both of you could keep me here if you chain me to the wall and knock me unconscious, but remember that the moment you leave for Bludhaven without me, your judgment as a leader of a team could be questioned. Could you honestly still call yourself an impartial leader if you force this on me? Never mind what Bruce thinks about you. How would you think about yourself? You were so concerned that the titans would think you unfit to lead because of us and now you are doing the very thing that would prove what doubts they may foster correct."
He stared at her, fists clenched to his side. Starfire had brought out the big guns and it stung like anything.
This was the first time she insisted on helping the team in a potentially dangerous situation since she lost her eyesight. In the past she knew she would be a hindrance, but now that she had trained, now that she had the confidence to fight common crooks if not super villains, she was well within her rights to insist, and he doubted she would insist this much if it wasn't to protect him as well.
But his instinct to protect her screamed even louder and he refused to give in.
She stood unmoving, waiting for his reply.
He swallowed and prepared for the worse after he said what he had to say. "You're right. I can't go to Bludhaven alone. If I did that, it would be bad judgment on my part."
A small smile began to emerge from the corner of her lip. He closed his eyes against it.
"I'm taking Batgirl with me."
He heard her gasp and he hardened his heart.
"You wouldn't." Her tone was terrifyingly calm, and if he wasn't so determined to protect her, he would've buckled under the pressure.
"I would, and I will. You're not ready."
Liar,whispered a voice inside him. He frowned and told it to shut up. There was another way and it was as good a way as any, at least the way he saw it.
"I am ready! Dick Grayson, you cannot do this! You cannot keep me from danger forever!"
"You need more training."
"I knew it!" She sounded angry. "You never planned on putting me back out in the battlefield. Did you train me just to humor me? I might as well leave the team if you insist on treating me this way. Batgirl would be an excellent replacement, wouldn't she?"
Robin wasn't going to let her trap him with that. "Stop right there, Kori. Nobody's leaving the team and nobody wants you replaced. You want to protect me as much as I want to protect you. That's the only issue here. Well, now I'm protected, so you should have no objection to that."
"And if you take Batgirl, I'm protected as well, but I have every objection to that." She turned and walked off with surprising accuracy and swiftness.
"Kori–"
"Do not speak to me. I do not wish to speak to you."
Robin had every urge to turn and stop her, beg her to forgive him and then kiss and make-up, but he was so sure about his decision that he steeled himself; telling himself that she would see it his way, that he was right in protecting her; she just needed time to cool, that was all. He watched her disappear up the steps of the exit and then he heard the loud bang of a closing door.
He tried to get back to work; tried to focus, but all he could think about was that they had fought, and it had been a real fight, not the kind of fight that involved glemporks and misunderstandings about buying CDRWs. This was the kind of fight even guys like Batman got into with their girlfriends.
Half an hour later, after realizing that his concentration had been shot to hell, he went to the kitchen to stuff his face. Alfred was there and he watched silently as Robin brought out some milk and a pack of double stuffed Oreos.
Setting himself up on the counter, Robin got some milk in a glass and began to dunk.
Alfred arched an eyebrow. "Those Oreos will spoil your appetite for dinner, Master Richard."
"I don't care," he muttered.
Alfred took another moment to observe him. "Well, as long as you are at it, I think Madam Koriand'r wouldn't mind spoiling her appetite either. I think she would have liked milk and Oreos."
Robin cocked a sardonic grin. "O-R-E-O," he said, just like in the old Oreo commercials.
His nonsensical reply was met by Alfred's schooled expression. "Yes, that is how it is spelled."
Robin barely heard him. What was so bad about wanting to protect her, anyway? It was practically his duty as her leader to make decisions like these. What was she so upset about? "K-O-R-I wouldn't want to have O-R-E-O with me. K-O-R-I thinks I'm a D-I-C-K."
"Couples fight, Master Richard. It is the way of things."
Robin didn't even ask how Alfred knew they were a couple. "It's not even because we're a couple. I just know we would have had this fight, regardless."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." He stuffed a whole Oreo in his mouth and ate it with a scowl. "I don't know," he added after a second thought.
"You doubt yourself."
He sighed, suddenly feeling defeated. "I just want to keep her safe."
"Goodness, Master Richard, I hope you did not do it Master Bruce's way." He said it with perfect calm, like an adult preempting a child, but Robin could tell there was a hint of annoyance.
Robin frowned. "What way?"
"When Master Bruce wants to protect his women, he simply breaks up with them."
Robin rolled his eyes. "What am I, an idiot? You're right, that is Bruce's way. I'm doing this Richard's way. I didn't break up with Kori. I couldn't. Care for her too much. Bruce could call me selfish, if he wants."
"Ah, at least one of you grew up with better sense."
It made Robin chuckle, but his smile quickly disappeared. He massaged his forehead with his fingers. "But this is why Bruce doesn't like getting involved with women. It gets to a point that you love them so much that every nerve in you just–I don't know–yells for you to protect them, regardless of whether they're superheroes or not; whether they're blind or they could see... ah, shit. I screwed up." He lost an Oreo to the depths of the milk and he was about to fish it out with his fingers when Alfred held him by the wrist.
Alfred produced a fork and fished the Oreo out for him, throwing the drowned Oreo away.
"When you say you screwed up," said Alfred. "Do you mean to say you were wrong and owe Madame Koriand'r an apology?"
"Probably," he muttered. "But it's just that... well, see–I might have to go to Bludhaven tomorrow, and the thing is, she wanted to go with me to keep me company; to protect me if she has to, which is perfectly fine, because Bludhaven is a hell of a place to be alone in."
"Oh yes, I must agree."
"I trained her myself. Maybe she's ready, but this is the first time I'll be putting her back out there since she–since she lost her eyesight. I don't know, Alfred. If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself. We were obviously worried about each other, so I came up with a solution. I told her I would bring Babs and she could stay behind, in the safety of the Wayne Tower. Problem solved. Kori doesn't have to worry about me and I don't have to worry about her."
Alfred nodded, openly pondering the matter. "A sound suggestion, I must admit, but..."
"I hate that word."
Alfred smiled, amused. "So does Master Bruce."
"With good reason. What's wrong with my plan, Alfred?"
"Technically, your plan to bring Madame Barbara and leave Madame Koriand'r is perfectly fine, but the reality of it is this: Unless you wish Starfire to retire from the Titans, when else are you going to trust her to fight again? She has to start sometime, and sooner is better than later."
Robin took a deep breath. "Argh! I did screw it up! But I couldn't help it. I want her S-A-F-E, exclamation point."
"That is clear enough. Ultimately, I know you will do what you think is right. Your judgment, at least, is better suited to this type of situation than Master Bruce's."
Alfred left it at that, seeing to dinner.
After a while, Robin put away the Oreos and cleaned his glass, inverting it in the drying tray by the sink. "I'm going to go up to my room."
"Very well, Master Richard."
That was all Alfred said. Robin turned and left for the rooms. He found himself in front of Starfire's door and swallowing his pride, he knocked.
After a while, the door opened. She stood there a moment, neither of them saying anything.
"It's me," said Robin.
"I know. I could smell your cologne."
Robin was glad she hadn't slammed the door on his face.
"I'm sorry." They said in unison.
They were both surprised by it, but Starfire recovered quickly. Robin took more time to figure it out.
"I am sorry I said those things," she said, her head lowering. "My words were... hurtful."
He was still reeling when he said, "I made you say them. You had to so that I would listen."
"Still. I was not fighting fair. You could have–you could have said that I would get in your way. That I'd be a hindrance because I am the way I am. But you did not. You respected me. I did not treat you quite as well. You did not take advantage of my weakness, but I took advantage of yours."
Robin did not want to put that kind of blame on her. He said her name in a mildly scolding tone. He did not want her to feel such guilt on account of him. He took her in a reassuring embrace and it was nice to feel her embrace back.
"We could leave for Bludhaven some time after lunch. That's the best time, I think," he said as he held her.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I trust that you could watch my back, but mostly I'm going to have to trust that you could watch yours. This is the first time I'm putting you back out there since the accident and–it scares me, but I have to start believing in you, because if I don't do that, then that's like kicking you out of the team, and I don't want to do that. I'll never ever do that."
He felt her burrowing against his chest and he smiled at that. If felt good to be in her good graces again.
"We could take Babs, if you like," she suggested softly.
He chuckled. "We could, but we won't. This isn't her case. And if she finds out why she got brought into it, she'll never let me forget that I acted like a di–well..."
"Dick?"
"Who taught–?"
"Babs."
"Right. I should have known."
"I will not make you sorry you took me, Richard. I will be careful, and alert. You don't have to worry about me."
"That's ridiculous. I'll always worry about you."
She tilted her face up and kissed him. They allowed themselves to get lost in it until they were breathless.
Having kissed and made up, Robin suggested that they spoil their appetite for dinner with Oreos.
Starfire rewarded this suggestion with a dazzling smile and they made for the kitchen together.
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Robin, the Boy Wonder, was back in Gotham. At least, that's what most of those who saw him avowed.
On his way to the labs the day following his argument with Starfire, Robin took the most isolated route to the back-lot of Wayne Tower, but even the most isolated roads of Gotham had pedestrians, and those that happened to be by on the hour Robin the Boy Wonder zipped by on the R-Cycle–rarely seen in the last two years–had to consciously ask themselves, "That was Robin?" before they accepted it as a statement of fact. Witnesses would find that friends and even family would be hard-pressed to believe them. After all, Robin and Batman clearly agreed to work separately, so there was no reason for Robin to come to Gotham, or was there?
Rumors, of course, had to begin somewhere. Robin the Boy Wonder's supposed gorgeous and fascinating sweetheart from Jump City, Starfire, had come to Gotham by invitation of the billionaire, Bruce Wayne. As it so happened, she had gotten too friendly with the billionaire's ward, Dick Grayson. Naturally, Robin the Boy Wonder would have no such thing and hurried on over to Gotham to reclaim his love from the junior playboy who had learned his wily ways from none other than the senior playboy–or so the rumormongers postulated.
Oblivious to the impact of his reappearance, Robin came to a skidding halt just outside the industrialized backdoor of the building. He shut the motor.
Steadying the bike, he removed his helmet and flexed his face a bit. His mask was back, and strangely enough, he had to get used to it again.
He leaned forward on the motorcycle to wait and his costume gave a small squeak. He rolled his eyes and shook his head in disapproval. His Gotham-designed Robin costume was drastically different from what he wore in Jump City. Although the rubber and steel design of the Gotham costume was aerodynamically more sound, his Jump City costume was definitely way more comfortable.
It was essential for him to go as Robin in Bludhaven. In the few times he had gone there, he had been Robin and had kicked serious butt. Word got around; he had a reputation there that he shouldn't be messed with; he was willing to take full-advantage of that reputation. If they left him alone, they would leave Starfire alone and that was all that mattered to him.
He waited for Starfire to emerge from her morning in the labs. They had agreed the previous night that there was no sense in wasting half a day's worth of tests just because they would be spending a few hours in Bludhaven.
Moments later, the steel door of the ground exit opened and Starfire emerged with Dr. Meridian escorting her. Robin was surprised to find Starfire in something that looked like a costume.
It wasn't her usual bubblegum purple but a deep, rich violet. It covered more of her but it didn't make the costume any less thought provoking.
He blinked stupidly as she approached. "That's... a nice costume."
Starfire smiled at the sound of his voice. "Alfred made it for me when he was told we would be coming here to Gotham; in case I needed it, of course. Isn't he thoughtful?"
Robin nodded enthusiastically, admiring the way the costume clung to her body. "Very." He saw that Dr. Meridian was giving him a disapproving look and he blushed. "Thanks for bringing her out here, Dr. Meridian," he said, by way of covering up.
Dr. Meridian was willing to take it at that. "You're welcome, Robin. You two be careful, you hear? Bludhaven is worse than Godforsaken. I think even the devil left it behind."
Starfire leaned over Robin's ear as she sat herself behind him on the motorcycle. "He was... there?"
Robin chuckled, handing her helmet over. "In the worse way possible."
When Starfire's helmet was secure, Robin started the engine. They said their goodbyes to Dr. Meridian and they sped off, heading a hundred twenty miles per hour into the seediest of hell's gates.
888888888888
Bludhaven rested, or as Robin termed it, "bided its time" far south of Gotham City. While it was only forty five minutes away from Wayne Tower by the highway 61 bypass, it still felt too long a ride for him, whether or not Starfire's clinging comfort sat behind him. He headed to the St. Bernardine's church area where some semblance of peace and quiet could be found. He wasn't a religious guy, but amidst the filth and corruption of Bludhaven, one had to find refuge, somehow. As Godforsaken as Bludhaven was, religion was the only free drug around. Too bad it wasn't as addictive as the ones you had to buy off the streets.
There were kids and adults walking shifty-eyed and cautious at every turn. In the afternoon, Bludhaven could look as common as any city–unless one knew how to look.
Robin's gaze moved from side to side. He spotted a man exchanging handshakes with a boy his age. The boy looked gaunt and wasted.
What are you into now, kid? Or is it still Crack you're shooting?
In another corner, a woman in a scandalously cut dress spoke casually with burly middle-aged man and took his hand a second later to move into an alley.
Quickies gotten any cheaper?
Just off the sidewalk of the church block, a little girl crawled in the shadows and wept piteously, holding a ratty stuffed bear as if it were her only lifeline.
Robin's gaze softened. Your daddy beating up mommy again?
Bludhaven was an awful place to grow up in. That same little girl would never love her father, and if she didn't kill him herself, some other person would. When the little girl grew up; when she started going out with men, they would beat her up too. That was the kind of Freudian psychology that went around in Bludhaven.
"A child is crying," Starfire whispered, her embrace tightening momentarily. "She is lost?"
"She's alone."
"Perhaps we must help her."
"She doesn't want help. If you try to talk to her, she'll just run away to God-knows-where. This is probably the safest place she could be, and that's not saying much either."
Starfire fell silent. Robin got off the bike and helped Starfire dismount. He could see realization dawning on Starfire, that perhaps Bludhaven was as horrible as the stories told. "Perhaps we should not leave the cycle."
"They touch it and they get their ass kicked by me. Around here, they don't think it profitable to piss off Batman or Robin."
Two men wrapped snuggly in their thick fall coats passed them by, staring at him, then at Starfire. They said nothing, but they exchanged glances. They knew somebody's butt was going to get it today and they were only glad it wasn't theirs.
Robin pulled Starfire further back into the church alleys where many of the homeless of Bludhaven sought refuge. They were lined up against the grimy brick walls and some were huddled in groups, sharing a bottle of some cheap alcoholic concoction.
They walked right down the center of it all where from their vantage point, Robin could scan each and every face for the person he was looking for.
Starfire sniffed and wrinkled her nose. "Bad smoke."
"Just gets better, don't it?" Robin muttered. He crouched down over a man who looked particularly more lucid than everyone else. His clothes were worn through in places, but then he had on layers of old discarded coats and hats. He wasn't wearing gloves yet, but he had a bottle of old vodka tucked into his pocket. He wasn't drinking it, and Robin hoped it meant he wasn't drunk... yet. "You seen Johan?"
"Yeow Gan?"
"No, Johan. German dude."
The guy nodded and pointed to a stack of crates. At the top of it was a man sprawled out on his back looking about as ratty as everyone else. One foot was shoeless, and the socks he had on had holes, but he looked to be alive because he shifted on his bed, perhaps to find a more comfortable position.
Johan wasn't always so poor. He used to be a reasonably successful pimp in the seedier districts of Gotham, and while Robin had no respect whatsoever for his former profession, he was perhaps one of the fairer pimps, however fair pimps got. He got in trouble with the law when someone framed him for the rape and murder of a child. If Robin and Batman weren't so sure of his innocence, they would have let him rot in death row, but even a pimp didn't deserve to go down for rape and murder, so they helped him get out of the fix. Unfortunately, proving him innocent in court didn't help his career much. He lost the faith of his prostitutes, his larger clientele and his prostitute wife. Little by little, the rest of him disappeared as well until there was nowhere to go but Bludhaven. He lived off seeking and selling information. It was one of the most dangerous trades in the streets, but he was as crafty in this career as he was in the last one, even if this one was a lot less ludicrous.
Robin approached the stack of crates, Starfire's hand on his shoulder. He stopped, looked up and wondered how Johan got up the stack without breaking his neck. There was a higher platform, just a bit more elevated than the stack. There was no ladder; there were no steps. The only way to get on top of it was by a crane. He had a better idea. He turned to Starfire. "I need a lift."
She smiled, stepping in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he wrapped himself around her.
Robin heard the familiar sound of Tamaranian power collecting. It was much fainter than the ones she emitted when she fired bolts from her hands. These days, she needed more concentration to fly, just so she wouldn't shoot up unnecessarily high or smash into low ceilings.
He guided her as they rose into the air in a gentle glide and she arched gracefully to place them just slightly above the raised landing. Slowly, she lowered them.
Bludhaven's homeless stared at this new enigma in wonder. They had seen the likes of Batman, Batgirl and Robin flying through the air with acrobatic grace and state of the art gadgetry, but this was the first time they had seen someone fly at will. Tales of Superman and Wonder Woman were still legends to most them, as of yet.
Robin crouched down the edge of the high platform and pulled out his bo-staff. He extended it and used it to poke Johan from his sleep. "Hey. Johan. You alive?"
Johan groaned, complained and told Robin to fuck off.
"He is grouchy," remarked Starfire.
Robin chuckled. "Not when I'm through with him. Starfire, you're going to have to pardon my French. Johan! Hey! Wake the fuck up!"
Johan's eyes cracked open momentarily, a vile epithet already forming on his lips, but seeing Robin, and then Starfire, he sat bolt upright. "Der mist!It's the Bat Kid! I'm so glad to see you!"
There was nothing particularly German about Johan except his name and his expletives, but he was pretty much known as the German Guy by sheer force of habit.
"Right," said Robin. There were many things Johan could feel concerning Robin's reappearance in Bludhaven. Glad was probably not one of them.
Johan eyed Starfire warily, and then with lewd approval. "'Ey there, pretty lady. I could've used one of you back in the day–"
Robin's bo-staff flashed and halted just underneath Johan's chin; a place Robin's bo-staff had landed once before and had left him rasping for breath several hours after. "Can it, Johan. You know better than to say what you were gonna say."
Johan gulped. "J-Just admiring the view..." He gave Starfire another good look before shrugging helplessly at Robin.
Robin heard the shimmer of fire bolts charging in her hands and then it dwindled. He saw Johan pale before he pulled his gaze from Starfire. Robin smirked. "When it comes to her, I'm not the one you're supposed to look out for. We need to talk."
"Talk is not cheap."
Robin smirked. "Johan," he said in a gently chiding tone. "As if we've never done business before."
"Been two years since. My prices have changed."
"Naturally. I'm a reasonable guy; more reasonable than Batman, but don't fuck with me, Johan. You know how I hate it when you try." Robin twirled his bo-staff and its tip was suddenly pressed threateningly on the apple of Johan's throat. It had moved so fast that Johan had barely blinked before he found himself at the uncomfortable end of the stick.
Johan flinched but stayed in place lest any sudden movements gave Robin reason to hurt him. "O-Of course. Let's go down there. It's more private." He pointed gingerly to a space on the ground. It wasn't hidden, but it was more discrete than their currently elevated location.
This time, Robin didn't ask Starfire's help getting down. He locked his arm around Starfire's waist and swung them towards a broken pipe-line. The pipe bent under their weight, but it set then gently down. Johan clambered off his stack of crates more clumsily.
When Johan had both his feet on the ground, he shuffled to them and grinned obsequiously. "What'll it be today, Bat Kid? Dirt on the Bludhaven P.D.? Wanna know who's on the take this time around? Or maybe some interesting tidbits about Roland Desmond?"
Robin's eyes narrowed to slits. "If I wanted to know who's on the take in the Bludhaven P.D., I would have gone straight to police headquarters, and I don't particularly care about what Desmond is up to this time." Roland Desmond was Bludhaven's reigning crime lord and super villain, and right now, Robin wanted as little to do with him as he can. "I have a name, and I want to know how much information you could give me about him."
"How much you got?"
"Info before pay, wise guy. Not like I couldn't get the information from somebody else."
Johan scowled. "Fine. What's the name?"
"Maxwell Victoria."
Johan laughed. "You chasing small fry, now? That's what happens when you leave big bad Gotham for cutesy Jump City."
Robin arched an eyebrow. "I owe him some ass-kicking. What's it to you?"
"You know me, Bat Kid. I take information an' I sell it. I don't have to know the fuck why. Maxwell's gone; probably done in by one of the local mobsters. He has a lot of gambling debts and he was bound to disappear sooner or later. His body's gotta turn up some time soon if he's dead. Come back in another two weeks and I'll let you know."
No thanks. "How long since anyone last saw him?"
"'Bout three weeks going. Word is, he's already paid a considerable amount of his debts to the mob about a month or so ago, but he ain't done with the payments yet."
"Is it even remotely possible that he's still alive?"
"Sure. Not counting on it, though."
"How'd you know he didn't just come to his senses and leave this shit hole for something better?"
"His apartment's still got all his things there."
"Give me his address."
"It'll cost you."
"Dammit, Johan, quit wasting my time with all your preamble!"
"Okay, okay!" Johan reached into his coat and pulled out a worn notepad and a two-inch pencil. He wet the tip of the pencil on his tongue and began to write. When he was done, he tore off the page and handed it to Robin, folded over once.
Robin opened the slip of paper and read it. He gave Johan a warning glare. "This better be real, or else I'm gonna be so pissed off that I'll make sure you eat bratwurst through your ass for the rest of your sorry life."
Johan raised his hands in a placating gesture, rolling his eyes. "It's real, Bat Kid. What kind of informant would I be if I gave out false information?"
"A dead one. Have any idea which of the mobsters would have had the doing of him?"
Johan's toothy and grimy grin told Robin of the answer before it was uttered. "The best one, of course."
Robin cursed even more profusely. From the corner of his eye, he saw Starfire wince ever so slightly. Bludhaven always brought out the worse in him and this time especially, he couldn't help it. He couldn't afford to force a meeting with Desmond. A guy like Desmond was too much even for the entire Titan team to handle, much more when they were three members shy.
"However," continued Johan. "You don't have to go directly to Roland Desmond for information. He leaves small-fry like Maxwell to his Oversight Department of thugs."
That gave Robin some relief. He knew how these big bosses worked. They retained "collectors" and they paid such collectors a handsome some of money on a regular basis to take care of the small-time debtors. Usually, collectors were gangs and they always had a leader. "What're they called?"
"Blue Monkeys. They hang out in Delirium a lot. Place is packed with druggies and hos twenty-four seven. Now's the perfect time to see 'em because half of them are usually stoned shitless at this hour. Just look for Prancer. He's their leader."
Robin knew where Delirium was. It was a dark lounge room that sheltered the most annoying franchise bullies in town. He took special note of the name of the Blue Monkeys leader. "Prancer, as in the reindeer?"
"Yeah. His momma gave him the name and he stuck with it. Don't make stupid jokes about Santy Clause and shit. He hates that."
He nodded at Johan. Their business was concluded. He pulled a rolled wad of bills from his utility belt and tossed it at Johan. Johan caught it greedily and began to count it.
Johan looked like he was about to complain when Robin cut him off. "What did I tell you about fucking with me, Johan?" He knew what the snitch had been about to say. It was the old routine; how the payment was a pittance, but Robin knew the money was more than what Johan earned in a week. There should be no problem.
Johan sighed with martyr-like dismay. "Fine. I tell you... it's so hard to make a living these days."
"I bet."
Johan grinned, as if suddenly struck by inspiration, and leaned over to Starfire. Before Robin could stop him, he had whispered something in Starfire's ear that made her blush to her roots.
Robin didn't even see it coming. Starfire's retracted walking cane whistled and then whapped loudly against Johan's shins with a resounding ring. Johan crumpled to the ground with a cry of anguish.
Unsatisfied, Starfire pressed her knee to his back and grabbed his wrist, twisting it behind him. The wrist gave a crunch and Johan cried even louder.
"Goddamn, bitch!"
Starfire crouched low, speaking to him in her sunshiny tone. "I do not like to be spoken to so rudely. Perhaps the next time we see each other, you will be more polite, yes?"
"You fu–"
Starfire applied pressure again and the sickening sound of ligaments straining crackled in the air. Johan's excruciating yells made Robin wince.
"Yes! Yes, I'll be polite! I'll do whatever you ask! Just–"
"Say, 'Yes, ma'am!'," instructed Starfire perkily.
"Yes, ma'am! God! Now please let me go!"
Starfire did, taking her knee off him. She smiled and stood, placing her hand gingerly back on Robin's shoulder.
Robin smirked. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Johan."
Johan rolled over, groaning as he massaged his shaky wrist.
Robin led them out of the alley and back to where the motorcycle was. Just as he thought, it looked untouched and unmolested.
They got back on the motorcycle, securing their helmets.
"I hate this place," said Starfire.
"Me too."
He kicked the motorcycle to life and sped deeper into the black heart of Bludhaven.
88888888888888
Maxwell Victoria lived somewhere off Island street. He had a passable view of the docks but it wasn't exactly picturesque. The barges and oil tanks weren't pretty to look at and the rough and tumble laborers in the area lived to intimidate those of Maxwell's type with their oil-tank hauling muscles.
They found Maxwell's apartment building, which was a dilapidated-looking brownstone with rusty fire exits and metal doors. The hinges on the doors were greased to a buttery consistency; probably to appease what building standards Bludhaven required of its property owners.
When Robin and Starfire walked into the ringing silence of the apartment lobby, they were met by the dirty soles of a pair of shoes. Whoever owned those pair of shoes was whistling merrily behind the cover of the tall reception desk.
"It smells... very old in here," whispered Starfire.
Robin sensed her misgivings. It was the kind of place where people lived in if they were hiding from something, or the kind of place people killed themselves in when Christmas came around. Bad vibes. He gently grasped the hand she had on his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly before he turned to talk to the underside of a shoe. "Excuse me. Some help here?"
"No, you can't use the bathroom and I don't have spare change," replied a bored voice.
Robin hated it when people got dismissive. He walked up to the desk and leaned over it.
The kid looked about his age, and he held a chewed up copy of an old Rollingstones magazine, but inside it, Robin could see pictures of very naked women. Robin arched an eyebrow, tapping on the table-top impatiently. "So you like Miss November so much that you can't even make decent conversation?"
The kid looked up from his magazine, poised to make a smart-ass reply when he saw who was standing in his lobby. "Holy shit!" he cried, sitting up and dropping his magazine. It fell to the floor with a papery splat. "Mr. Robin, sir! I'm sorry, I didn't–is that Starfire? I mean–Ms. Starfire, ma'am! It's such an honor to have you at the Seaside Apartments!"
Robin frowned. They didn't have time for pleasantries. "We'd like to see Maxwell Victoria's apartment."
The kid bit his lip. "I–I don't know..."
"Look, we could've just let ourselves in, but the windows were sealed shut, and I figured I didn't have to make you, or your boss, pay for repairs when you could just let us in through the door, right? It's not as if we would steal anything."
"Stealing is bad," remarked Starfire.
Robin didn't know what it was about Bludhaven that made Starfire's sweet demeanor seem so scary. The moment she spoke, the receptionist paled.
"M-My boss said I should only let those with a warrant in."
"We're not cops. If we were, we wouldn't be here, asking you nicely."
The Bludhaven police were not known for their gentility or their integrity, if they even had it.
When the kid began to fidget uncertainly, Robin rolled his eyes. It always boiled down to one thing. He pulled out a bill. The boy snatched it out of his hand and grinned. "Right this way, Mr. Robin!"
They were led to a groaning and primitive elevator; the kind operated by a lever.
The kid's name was Andy and he worked only part time at the building. Most days, he did janitorial work at the St. Bernardine's church. He was a big fan of the Titans, mostly because Robin was there.
Andy eyed Starfire curiously. Her accident wasn't a well-known fact. Whether the papers were reluctant to report it or whether Bruce had a hand in suppressing the information, Robin didn't know. All he knew was, not many knew that Starfire had lost her eyesight. Andy was probably wondering how Starfire could look so alive on paper while she looked so impassive in person. It didn't take a rocket scientist to understand her condition after a moment's thought. With one hand on Robin's shoulder, it soon became obvious that she couldn't see, but it only left Andy wondering: So she's been blind all this time?
They reached Maxwell's floor, and while the corridor was relatively clean, the walls and ceiling were definitely worn out. It needed more than a fresh coat of paint. Parts of it needed repairs; holes in the wall needed patching, bulbs needed replenishing and the water stains on the ceiling and its terminations along the walls showed that they needed waterproofing.
The door to Maxwell's apartment was locked, as expected, but Andy had the key. With a bit of jerking and pulling, the door swung open at its hinges.
"He hasn't been back for three weeks," said Andy. "And if he doesn't come up with payment at the end of the month, my boss'll bolt the door and wait another two weeks before he starts selling off Mr. Victoria's possessions. I get first dibs on his computer!"
Andy seemed very pleased by this, and with good reason. The computer was a desktop, but it was Alienware. The processor looked like a blue spaceship with black gills on the side and it had a sleek sheen to its aerodynamic casing.
Robin took some time to give it a look. "AMD Athlon sixty four with a three thousand five hundred speed processor. I'm guessing XP OS. Give me a minute, Star. I'm going to crack this baby." He led her to a chair as he said this and she took her seat.
Andy looked worried. "You're not going to hurt it, are you?"
Robin cocked a grinned. "I'll treat her like my own." He grabbed another chair and sat in front on the computer, switching it on. The processor was fast, and soon, he was ready to hack into it. He couldn't help checking the specs. "Eighty GB Seagate SATA with an eight MB cache... dual channel with a five hundred twelve MB DDR; SDRAM PC thirty two hundred..." He whistled. "ATI Radeon graphics card... nice."
"It's the best, yo. The boss is willing to sell it to me, cheap. He don't know how these things work."
"Lucky you."
"Robin, why do you have to hack into Maxwell Victoria's system?" Starfire asked.
"Oh, the personal PCs always a good source of information. Most times, owners log into websites with their passwords, or at least with their usernames, saved. I could easily figure out a password if it's not already stored–"
"You could do that?" asked Andy.
Robin looked at him a moment. "You know, you should wait outside."
Andy blinked and then made a face. "Okay. Sorry." He left.
Robin first checked through his hard drive and retrieved hidden files. Whatever criminal activities Maxwell had, he was smart enough not to store them in his computer, but he hadn't been paranoid enough to erase his internet history. Robin simply clicked the drop-down on the address bar of a browser and a plethora of Maxwell's usual net haunts overwhelmed him. They were mostly sites and forums relating to robotics and most of his accounts on those didn't need hacking to access. He browsed through forum posts and checked a few other sites on Maxwell's favorites. They guy didn't visit many porn sites, but he was loyal to one or two of them. What caught Robin's attention the most was Maxwell's online banking.
Robin chuckled. "Hello, Fleet."
"Who?"
"Fleet's a bank. They have branches and ATMs all over the place and they provide online banking for their customers. Wanna bet Maxwell uses it?"
"But Robin, do they not keep passwords for that?"
Robin couldn't help flash a cocky grin as he popped his fingers. "Oh, ye of so little faith."
She reddened. "I did not mean to imply that I have no faith–"
He chuckled. Starfire must be greatly unnerved by the entire place to be so edgy. He made sure that Andy wasn't peeping and he leaned over, running his hand soothingly on the back of her neck. "It was a joke, Star. Sit back and relax. Robin's at the helm."
Starfire smiled, the tension on her shoulders melting.
Seeing that he had lessened her tension, he went back to work. Figuring out Maxwell's password was easy. All he had to do was hack into the web-developer's system, create an algorithm from the present codes and discover which password matched with Maxwell's username. Robin had the password in five minutes.
He was soon looking at Maxwell's account history. Approximately two months ago, he made a large deposit of twenty five thousand dollars in his account. Before that, it was an unsteady stream of small bills ranging between fifty dollars to two hundred. The twenty five thousand dollars dwindled to approximately ten thousand after he made several bulk withdrawals.
Guy was paying off his debts.
Two days after the Plasmus incident, another sum was deposited, this time for seventy five thousand dollars.
He's been hired to do all this, thought Robin grimly. But who?
A sum of twelve thousand dollars was withdrawn and then no further transactions had occurred since then.
He's done with his debts. There were no partial payments; he completed payments on all his obligations here... why would he do that? He could just leave the place without settling anything and he gets to keep all that money. Unless...
"The guy's planning to come back," said Robin in amazement. "He's gonna come back and live here, at least for a while if not permanently, and then he'll find himself a swanky place to live in, at least until he blows the rest of his money. Probably in Mexico..." Another thought hit him. "Or he could really be dead, after all."
Starfire frowned.
Robin rummaged through whatever papers he could find. He was elated when he found what he was looking for. He tore open a large envelope at the top of the pile and opened it. "American banking is grand."
"What is that?"
"Bank statements. Banks send over statements of your account every month in case you want to keep a paper file of your banking activities."
"How efficient!"
"Yep." He was about to lead Starfire out when his eyes fell on Maxwell's answering machine. It was the old kind, with a tape inside it. Apparently, Maxwell hadn't taken it upon himself to replace it for a newer model. He knew that he told Andy they weren't going to steal anything, but this was important.
He took the tape and gave it to Starfire. "Here. Keep this."
She took it and tucked it into her top through her collar. Robin so wanted to be that tape.
He didn't want to have to do what he had to do with the bank statements, but he had to find out if Maxwell was dead. There was only one way to make sure.
"Come on, Star. We're going to Delirium."
888888888888888
Delirium looked about as welcoming inside as it was outside. It was a squat, one story box building with boarded up windows and a bad paint job.
When Robin rolled his motorcycle up front, never minding that it would get in the way of other cars, the welcoming committee consisted of a group of S&M-clad men and women who were either dog-collared or holding the other end of one. They glared at him suspiciously from where they stood, flashing chains and steel knuckles. Starfire followed him, her fingers on his shoulder tensing when their audience pressed the slightest bit closer around her. They were of the exotic persuasion, and with Starfire's bright red hair and golden skin, she was certainly worth their time.
As much as Robin wanted to pull her close, he knew that would be a bad idea. There was no need to let them think they could get to him through her. He was better off projecting that he didn't have to worry about her, because she could take care of herself. If they could tell she was blind, it was all the more reason for them to watch out for her, because everyone knew Robin the Boy Wonder had the sense not to bring a helpless weakling in the middle of Bludhaven, and certainly not in Delirium.
The crowd inside the lounge parted to let them pass. He wasn't exactly a regular there, and he didn't know what Prancer looked like, but he knew enough about these gangs to spot the signs of where Prancer would be situated and who he was.
Robin followed the direction of everyone's eyes as they shifted to him and to wherever Prancer was. These guys knew that Robin didn't show up in Bludhaven unless he was looking for someone, and it was usually the little bosses he went after, too.
The smell of marijuana was thick in the air and Robin hoped it wouldn't affect Starfire too much. Her zen-trained sense of smell would certainly pick up on it, but unless she held her breath, she couldn't exactly keep it out of her system.
Just as he predicted, the crowd led him to an alcove-type table filled with scantily strapped women, big guys in suits and a well-built man sitting at the certain of it all.
On both sides of him hung women who wore—well, more clothes. They clung to the fur lapels of his dark-red coat. His hair fell in dreadlocks and his goatee was shaped perfectly to compliment his smooth, chocolate skin. He stared out at Robin and Starfire with yellow eyes, like a cat's, and for all of it, Robin had no idea why they called themselves the Blue Monkeys, because they weren't blue and they didn't look like monkeys.
A round, hairless bulk of a man stepped in front of Robin. Sensing him for the threat that he was, Starfire stepped between them, her hand shimmering green.
"Duke. Heel," came a silky voice from beyond the man-wall. "Let the Boy Wonder and his bitch pass. I'm in the mood to meet superheroes."
For a moment, it seemed that Duke wasn't in the mood to meet superheroes, but Starfire's hand glowed even brighter and Duke felt the flare of heat from it. It didn't take him long to realize what Starfire's powers could do. He stepped away, eyeing Starfire with contempt.
Robin dealt him a glare before turning his attention to Prancer.
"Well, I'll be," said Prancer leaning calmly over the edge of the table. "She ain't just any superhero; she's the famous Starfire. Mmm, you a fine bitch."
Robin saw Starfire's cheek twitch in outrage but she merely made a sound of disdain, as if to show he wasn't worth her time.
Robin had little choice but to take the same stance as she did. These guys weren't like Johan. He could disrespect Johan and still get what he wanted; but the Blue Monkeys would not allowed themselves to get bossed around by a teen do-gooder without a fight, a fight Robin wanted to avoid. "For your sake, Prancer, you better start calling her by her name."
Prancer smiled. "Or you'll what?"
Robin smirked. "Me? Who said anything about me?" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Starfire. "She'll kick your ass."
She gave a toothy grin.
Prancer arched an eyebrow, not sure what to make of Starfire's upbeat demeanor. Finally, he leaned back and picked up a glass of champagne. "What are you doing in my town, Boy Wonder?"
"Your town?"
"That's right. My town."
Robin smirked and let his lack of response to it speak for itself. "I want to know if Maxwell Victoria is still alive."
Prancer gave a throaty laugh. "Am I supposed to know this Maxwell Victoria?"
Robin pretended to think about it and punctuated it with a casual shrug. "I should think so. He owes your boss a lot of money."
"Prancer does not have a boss."
Robin rolled his eyes. He hated it when these weirdos began to refer to themselves in the third person. "What's wrong? Roland Desmond fire you?" On his side, Duke advanced, and near Starfire, a thug just as large as Duke took a step towards her. Her power shimmered with great intensity, sending a heat-wave through the room.
A strange hush followed and Robin couldn't help but grin. These guys were more short tempered than he thought, but they were easy to train, too; like dogs. Already, they understood the consequences of crossing him and Starfire.
"Roland Desmond is a client," Prancer articulated. "He is not the owner of me."
"I'm sure he'd be thrilled to hear that. He'll also be happy to know that you're skimming off his money. Maxwell settled his debts, didn't he? How much of the twelve thousand did you take? Twenty five percent? Fifty percent?" It was a guess, but a calculated one. The word out on the street was that Maxwell Victoria hadn't fully paid his debts, but with the amount of money Maxwell had, Robin doubted Maxwell would leave any debts hanging. It was either the information out on the streets was wrong or the Blue Monkeys had taken it upon themselves to get a cut off the profits and sell Maxwell short. Roland Desmond would not be pleased to hear that his collectors were kicking-back on him. "I'm kinda surprised Desmond believed you when you told him Maxwell didn't pay in full. Did you have to kill Maxwell just so you could keep your cut?"
Prancer shot daggers out of his eyes. "Whoever gave you that information is scraping for a buck. Your rat cheated on you, Boy Wonder."
Robin wasn't about ready to get pushed off-track. Whatever the truth was, he had struck a nerve. "I have proof that shows Maxwell had the money to pay off all his debts. Desmond would be glad to get a tip in the mail; maybe a bank statement showing him that Maxwell made a withdrawal in the exact amount he owes." He pulled out the folded bank statement and waved it casually like he would a fan. "Why, I wouldn't want to be a Blue Monkey when that happens."
Prancer growled, eyeing the paper in Robin's hand. "Whadaya want, kid?"
"Simple. Is he, or isn't he dead?"
"We didn't kill him and we know for a fact that he isn't dead."
"Oh. Been talking to him a lot lately?"
"Not lately, but we know he's in on something. He been paying all the other sharks off. His debt to Desmond only became due last month."
Robin smirked. "And he only paid Desmond partially?"
"That's right, Boy Wonder."
Robin didn't buy it, but it hardly mattered now. Prancer was talking. "Any word on where he was getting all that cash?"
Prancer frowned. "Some dude named Wilson's been paying him for some science shit. Weird first name."
Robin froze and Stafire's grip on his shoulder tensed. It couldn't be... he thought with a deep current of horror, and then fury. "Slade Wilson?"
"Right on."
Robin had to control his breathing for a moment. Maybe he should have assumed it was Slade all this time. After all, there was Cinderblock, and then Plasmus. It sounded like the kind of thing Slade would do, but then it was so obvious that it wasn't like Slade. What the hell was going on?
"We're done here," said Robin. "I appreciate your cooperation, Prancer. Maybe next time we'll stay longer and have a few drinks with you."
"I'll look forward to it. But Boy Wonder, you wouldn't happen to be nice enough to hand over that bank statement you so happily planned on mailing to Desmond, would you?"
Robin sneered. "I think I'll keep the copy handy for now."
"I don't think so." Prancer stood from his seat and dealt him a menacing glare.
Robin smelled battle and his thoughts screamed to protect Starfire. "Starfire–"
"You worry overmuch," she said calmly. She turned, pulling her walking cane from its holster at her hip and pressed the button beneath the Pokemon. The cane extended, punching right through the thug who had surged forward to attack her. The thug caught it right in the gut and he doubled over. Robin always wondered whether Cyborg got around to configuring her walking cane. Robin guessed he didn't.
She swung the cane in another direction, connecting with the head of another attacker and sent him sprawling to the ground.
Robin grinned, his confidence for Starfire surging. He saw Duke come at him and Robin turned a back flip, letting the force of his foot catch Duke under the chin. In mid-flight, he pulled out his bo-staff and used it to give Duke another hit to the neck for good measure. Duke grunted, falling over dazedly. Robin saw the others already pulling guns out. He knew it was only a matter of time. He snatched out his smoke bombs and threw it at the group of armed thugs.
The bombs exploded and screams began to emanate from within the haze, but the thugs did not emerged, probably too confused to move.
Someone caught Starfire from behind, wrapping arms around her. She slammed her head backwards and she was released, her attacker stumbling with a bleeding nose. She turned for a back kick, catching him on the side of his head and he fell to the ground unconscious.
Elated and proud of his protégé, Robin jumped over a hulk of a man heading straight for him. He leaped-frog over the man's shoulders, clamped his hand's firmly on the guy's head and brought the thug with him in a forward roll. The man slammed face-down into the ground.
Someone fired a shot and it bounced off the walls. Loud curses could be heard through the din and another shot sounded. If it wasn't for the smoke, Robin knew there would be shots everywhere.
Even if they could fight off most of the Blue Monkeys, the place was too packed for them not to hurt innocent bystanders.
"We have to get out of here," yelled Robin over the panic. "Could you blow a hole through the roof?"
Starfire nodded and reached out to him. "Grab hold!"
He did, wrapping his arms around her.
She raised a fist up over her head and collected her power. The milling crowd pulled away, afraid of what her powers could do. She released a bolt and it exploded against the ceiling, creating a gaping hole. Debris shot everywhere and away from them. More screams rang out and sunlight spilled into the dark lounge.
Starfire heaved them up through the opening as quickly as she could, but knowing the limitations of her condition, she set them down on the roof quickly. Robin took it from there. He shot a birdarang around a light post and pulled its rope taut. Holding Starfire against him, he swung them around and used the light post as leverage to set them down on the ground. They landed just off the motorcycle.
Robin swung Starfire on the seat and then placed himself, kicking the motorcycle to life. Slamming on their helmets, he took them out of there, getting as far away from Delirium as possible.
To be continued...
Closing notes: Of course, I made Pennsworth up. I don't want to offend real Ivy Leaguers. It does bear mentioning that while I based the name on the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsworth is in no way a reflection of the U of P campus, culture and standard, and I do mean that in the best possible way, too. They're not even on the same coast. I placed Pennsworth nearer to Jump City than Gotham, so there.
Also, if you noticed, I changed the rating on the fic. It is now officially R. No, not for sex... don't get your hopes up! Haha! Just for language. Bludhaven brings out the worse in me and Robin, so it couldn't be helped. Robin couldn't be squeaky clean and survive Bludhaven. It's a nice little foreshadowing of Robin's future career as Nightwing, yes? ::wink::