Solidarity?
Chapter Four
December 27, 2004
- - -
"Oww!" Richard smacked the hand hovering near his face away and glared into blank, emerald eyes. "I'll have you know, Kori, that this is your fault." He raised the ice pack to his eye and turned away from the girl again.
Kori blinked innocently, watching as his face shifted between expressions of frustration and pain. "I don't understand, Richard… what do you mean?"
"If you hadn't shown up in the dead of night in that get-up, the misunderstanding of the century wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't have a black eye!" Richard sighed deeply.
'And… I'd still be here with Beatrice,' he added silently and solemnly. 'I guess I can't blame her, I'd be pretty mad too… damn it, Kori, you always have the worst timing.' He shook his head and looked at the redhead, who hovered near his body. One quick look down her excessively low-cut tank top, and reality came hurling back at Richard. What was this dolt of a girl doing at his apartment, miles from her own territory, and in the middle of the night… and dressed like a whore?
"Kori, what in blazes are you doing here anyway?" Richard asked, sitting up and glaring icily at her. "And if it isn't a good excuse, I will personally throw you out the window." It wasn't that he didn't like Kori, she was really nice and kind to anyone she met, but she drove Richard crazy. All she did was hang on him and flirt with him, and basically drive him mad with unwanted attention. If he wanted to be the object of her affections, she would know by now.
"I was attacked… by one of those shadows." She said softly, sitting next to him.
Richard looked carefully at her, now that she had his full attention. "Did Bruce tell you about them?" He asked, dropping his voice low, "Did you inform Bruce?"
"Yes…" Kori replied, looking at Richard with big, shiny eyes. He just rolled his own in response. "I was attacked earlier today," the redhead continued, "It was very strong, but I managed to hold it off for a while… until it left."
"Then why didn't you come to me immediately?" he asked, looking at her incredulously. After a moment, and another flip of the red hair, Richard realized why Kori had taken so long to get here: she had taken time to get ready. He felt complete anger suddenly boil in his veins as he looked at the girl next to him. She had not only wasted time in trying to impress him, but also destroyed his chances with his next door neighbor. Now he'd be lucky if Beatrice would even look at him.
"Get. Out." Richard suddenly forced out through clenched teeth.
"What?" Kori looked at him with big eyes.
"Get out, Kori. Or my hand is going to swing on its own. You wasted time and valuable information by trying to impress me; we could have been one step closer to figuring out what the hell attacked you, Victor, and Beatrice. Speaking of which, if you hadn't shown up here in the middle of the night with thoughts of getting laid, then I would still have my friend next door!! SO GET THE HELL OUT!" His voice had reached an ear-deafening volume, and he didn't really care who heard him. This was the last straw! Kori was always doing some crazy stunt to get Richard to like her, but it wasn't going to fly anymore. She was going to remove herself from his sight, or suffer the consequences.
Richard stood up and walked to the door, then swung it open. "OUT!" He pointed into the hallway and glared. "NOW!"
Kori stood up and walked sadly into the hall, a look of guilt crossing her face. "I'm sorry, Dick… you're right. I shouldn't have wasted time…" She looked down.
Richard took a sharp breath and shook his head, feeling exhaustion overcome his anger. Too many times had this happened: Kori did something, he got angry, then he felt bad for yelling and the whole plan went back to phase one. It was becoming too much a stupid routine.
"Just… just don't do it anymore, Kori. You're a nice girl and all, but we're not going to be together, we're too different. Here." He handed her a jacket of his and looked at her firmly, as if he had just finished berating a child. "Take this and cover yourself up. Now call a cab, and don't take the bus. Otherwise I'm going to have to deal with a rapist."
"Yes, Dick…" Kori nodded, then started down the stairs, taking one last look at the man on the landing. Richard didn't feel too bad for her though, he knew in a day or two she'd be back on her feet, thinking of some other scheme to try and 'make him hers'. That was what had happened since the day he met her, that's what would happen until the day he was standing at the altar.
He shook his head and started for the bathroom, glancing at Beatrice's door as he did so. He felt absolutely awful about what had happened, and he didn't blame her for reacting like she did… he just wished she hadn't been so violent with him. He noticed her light was turned on, and for a moment he considered knocking to explain himself… but the door suddenly swung open on its own, surprising Richard to no end.
"Um…"
Beatrice stood there, looking a little sheepish as she did so. She avoided his eyes for a moment, then looked back up at the dark-haired man and blushed. "Sorry… I mean, for reacting the way I did… I shouldn't have hit you. Are you okay?"
"Ah…" Richard just stared at her, in shock wondering why she was suddenly so nice. Was she bi-polar, or did she have MPD? Then the brick smacked him in the face, and something Beatrice said before tickled his ear:
"…it's not like our walls are sound proof…"
She had heard the whole conversation between Richard and Kori!
"You heard us talking, didn't you?" He asked slowly and carefully, hoping desperately she didn't hear too much of what was said between them. After all, if Beatrice found out about his true identity as Robin, all was lost and he would have to move back to Gotham with Bruce. And then Raven would have complete control of the West End and Robin was determined to keep her from that!
"I didn't mean to," Beatrice said, looking a little sheepish, "But the walls are so thin and you guys were talking pretty loud for a while… I mean… well, you have kind of a booming voice, Richard." She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Can I have a look at it?"
"What? The shiner you gave me?" Richard asked with a slight grin, hoping the ice would break between them. He suddenly had a chance at being in Beatrice's good graces, and wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers. So, he was more than excited when a small smile greeted him from behind nervous lips.
"I'm really sorry I hit you so hard…" She took a step forward and looked up into his handsome face, examining the bright red mark around his right eye. Richard's first urge was to step back, but the closeness of his neighbor actually drew him in. Her tender face was focused on his injury, and for once in his life Richard wished it had been worse. That way she would have to stay and take care of him.
"It's not life-threatening," she said after a moment, "but it's definitely going to leave a mark." She went to take a step back, but Richard quickly took her shoulders in his strong hands. Beatrice paused and looked up at him, feeling her stomach knot tightly at his intense, green gaze. She needed to get out of his arms… lest something happen.
"How… how much did you hear?" Richard stumbled over his words as Beatrice took another step back, putting them at arms length. He sighed and let his hands fall from her shoulders as her face turned away from his own.
"All of it…" Beatrice blushed, looking away.
"Even the whispers?" Richard's face paled immediately.
"Just snippets of the whispers… names mostly. My name, a 'Victor' and a 'Bruce'… that was all, I swear." She looked up at him in earnest. "But I heard everything else… I didn't mean to eavesdrop, Richard…"
"No… no, don't worry about it. It wasn't anything important anyway," He lied and set a small smile upon his lips, hoping his neighbor didn't put two-and-two together yet. "It's getting late, Beatrice… you'd better get some rest."
"You too," She said, starting for her door again. She paused at the frame and looked back at Richard. "Thanks again, for everything."
He smiled slightly at her. "It's nothing. Now go to sleep."
- - -
Richard looked at his watch and leaned back in his chair, staring at his finished and last final paper. He saved it and stood up, stretching his aching limbs as he did so. He went to his window and looked down at the sidewalk below, feeling his fatigue slowly leave him.
He looked at the wall that separated his and Beatrice's apartments and felt a small pang at his heart strings. It had been nearly two weeks since her attack, and through all the research Richard did, he kept coming up empty-handed every time. He couldn't even ask her about it because she left the apartment before Richard got up, and returned after he had gone to bed. Apparently her job, or school, or whatever she was doing, had very long and strenuous hours.
Richard glanced at his watch again and shrugged. He might as well go kill some time. Garfield should be at practice now, and the theater was only a few blocks away… he should stop by for a quick chat. After all, they opened in a week anyway, the green boy might need some luck or something.
Donning a jacket and locking his door, Richard ventured down the stairs and out into the light snowfall that worked its way around Jump City. Cold confetti dusted everything from the roof-tops to his shoulders and the winter wonderland looked as if it was taking over the city.
After ten long minutes of brisk walking, he came to an old theater that was definitely out of its prime. Walking to the stage door he pulled it open and walked inside, noting that there was no security, so it obviously was a low-budget play. The dingy hallway he had just walked into was covered with old shoes, costumes, and properties. The yellowish light flickered above his head, and Richard looked up and down the hallway for another human being. Instead he was met with a walking pile of clothing.
"Um, hello?" He asked it. The clothing pile stopped and turned to him.
"Yes?" An exasperated female voice responded, muddled by the mounds of moldy fabric.
"I'm looking for Garfield Logan, is he here?" Richard asked tentatively, hoping he wasn't bothering the walking, talking mound of clothes too much.
The mound made a noise of frustration. "That fool? He's onstage right now; you're going to have to wait if you want to talk to him. There'll be a break after the first act. You can follow me to the house."
"HELLO! ASS STAGE MANAGER!" A loud, snotty voice cried from the end of the hallway. "It's tech week and I don't have my costume for act two, scene two yet! What are you doing about it?" Richard looked at the small, bony bitch standing in the yellowish light and looking strangely like ghoul.
"I'm going to kill you…" The mound muttered under its breath. "I'm looking for one right now! Just wait a moment, I'm heading to the sewing room to pick one out and alter, okay?" The mound replied. "So, tell Jacob he can find me there!"
"Eww, as if I'd ever talk to him!" The ghoul turned and stomped out of the hallway, muttering rude comments under her breath.
Richard turned back to the mound. "Um, do you need help with that?"
"Sure."
Richard reached out and grabbed a few armfuls of clothing, and revealed the face hidden beneath the mountain. "Beatrice!?" He cried, feeling very surprised at such a familiar face.
"Richard!" She said in surprise, a small smile playing on her lips. "Well, this is a surprise, what are you doing here?" She turned and started off down the hall, with him close behind her.
Richard had to side step a few boxes, but he just followed her deeper into the maze of corridors. "I came to see Gar. He told me he was the plant and that I should stop by and see him act."
"He makes a good plant," she said as she turned into a small room with several mirrors and two sewing machines. Piles of clothing and fabric lay strewn around, labeled with tags like 'P: AISII'. "His pick-up lines are left to be desired. You can just toss those on the floor."
He dropped his load of clothing next to a sewing machine and took a good long look at the woman he hadn't seen in weeks. She looked smaller and exhausted, as if she hadn't gotten any sleep or food in days. Her hands and arms were covered with cuts and bandages, and her hair fell down from her braids, creating a purple halo around her face. She looked like she could use a nice, long nap.
"You look tired," he said, approaching her. She shrugged nonchalantly and began diving into piles of clothing, looking for the ugliest dress possible to put on the ghoul. "You look like you could use a good meal and a nap."
Beatrice let out a short laugh and stood up, looking at her companion. "That's an understatement. Our wardrobe woman quit last week because of the Queen of Everything you happened to chance upon, and now it's my 'honor' to take on her duties for a whole extra five dollars a day." She rolled her eyes and tossed a ratted petticoat to the side. "I feel like I'm making the big bucks."
"I'll give you five dollars if you leave right now and come get some food with me," Richard offered her his hand, but she just batted it away with a smile.
"Thanks for the offer, but I've got too much to do right now… I'll be able to sleep and eat in a few weeks," She said calmly, pulling out a long, brown and unbecoming dress. "Yes, this will look just fine on Priscilla."
"Hey, Bea!" A long-haired, scruffy looking man, dressed in all black and carrying a clipboard poked his head into the sewing room.
"Yes, Mitch?" Beatrice responded without looking up from her piles.
"Light 6A on catwalk 3 just blew and Jacob wants you to fix it." With that he turned and walked away, not saying anything more to the dark girl.
"Oh goodie." Beatrice stood up and shook her head, grumbling angrily at her situation. Finally, she turned back to her companion and gave a tired, weak smile. "Come with me and I can show you to the house, I think Garfield is onstage right now." She headed for the door and motioned for him to follow. Richard suddenly felt no desire to see his friend. Now the only thing he wanted to do was be around his neighbor… and feed her. She had peeled off her hooded sweatshirt to reveal the thinness of her body beneath a black tank top.
"Are you coming?" She asked tossing the shirt to the side and motioning him with her arm. "Garfield isn't going to be onstage forever you know."
"Right… right… you just…" He started to say something, but cut himself off. "Forget it. It's not important."
"I just… what?" She asked raising a challenging eyebrow.
"You just look thin." He stated finally.
"Not eating does that to you, come on," She said calmly, exiting the sewing room, Richard in tow. He watched her lithe form dart around boxes and other objects as they traveled to the house. He had almost forgotten how utterly attractive and sexy she could be… it almost made him sick with desire.
She stopped suddenly and pointed to a set of old, flaking doors which were barely hanging on their hinges. "If you go through those doors, you'll be in the house. Sit in the back, or the director will have your ass. I've got to go fix some lights, talk to you later." Without another word she quickly disappeared into the maze of corridors he had just exited.
"She's so hot…" he whispered before turning back to the doors.
Richard carefully opened the left door, and a strange sight greeted him.
There was Beast Boy on stage.
Not Garfield, but Beast Boy.
And another one of those damned shadows standing right across from him. It lashed out at Beast Boy, who was caught off guard. And, with a sickening 'thwack' the green boy fell on the stage, suddenly unconscious from the impact.
'Well, shit.' Richard thought, stepping back from the doors. He let them slide back in place and tried to ignore the screaming inside the house as people ran for exits and went to try and save Beast Boy. He quickly pulled off his shirt and pants, revealing a brightly colored spandex suit beneath the cotton. Pulling a mask from his belt, he placed it firmly in place then went to attack the shadow.
He threw open the doors and bounded inside, in just enough time to watch the shadow grab Beast Boy around his midsection, and slide to the roof, like personified oil. "Shit! BB!" Robin called after him, running up on stage. "Stop, you fucking bastard and give me back my friend!" Robin yelled at the hole in the ceiling, as the last bit of shadow slithered onto the roof.
"Oh, yes. Because telling it to come back is going to work," a cold, snide voice said from his side. He turned to discover the hooded Raven standing next to him, looking up at the same hole in the roof. He felt a surge of anger and frustration at her, but quickly decided it would be pointless to get into a fight with the mysterious warrior, they were wasting precious time as it was.
"Well, why don't we go after it then!?" he yelled angrily at her, pulling a grappling birdrang from his belt. Launching it to the ceiling he took a strong hold and was quickly pulled to the roof, Raven flying close behind him.
"STOP!" he cried as his feet landed safely on the roof. The sand-like shadow turned at looked at Robin with an air of surprise.
"Drop him!" Raven cried as she broke onto the roof with the masked boy wonder.
Robin turned to her and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh, so you can command it, but I can't?" He asked snidely. Raven hissed a bolt of black energy at him, and he quickly silence and turned back to the task at hand: Saving BB.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" In a moment a few barrels were flung at the creature. They hit dead on, disintegrating the creature for a moment.
A painful shriek erupted from its center, before it reconvened and grew angrier. The shadow dropped Beast Boy to the ground, and charged at Raven. She flew out of its path and tossed another nameless object at it. Meanwhile, Robin pulled out his metal pole and went crazy judo on the shadow.
It suddenly cried and shied away from Robin and Raven's relentless attacks, then jumped off the roof and plopped into a storm drain in the center of the sidewalk. Robin growled angrily and was about to chase after it when Raven grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't," She said firmly, looking at him through her own mask. "You'll find yourself in trouble. You should concentrate more on helping your friend."
Robin ran to his friend, and found that he was alright, but unconscious… he wasn't going to be happy in the morning. Finally, Robin turned back to Raven and looked at her strangely for a moment, then decided to speak. "What are you doing here?"
Raven laughed curtly, the air around her suddenly turning irritated. "I guess a 'thank you' isn't in order, is it?" She turned to the masked boy wonder and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Remember, we made a deal to share the crime. I happened to be in the area, and heard the distress… so I helped."
"Well, yeah… but… oh, alright!" The boy wonder flailed for words. "Thank you, there are you happy?" Robin said, exasperated at her nonchalant attitude. He looked at her firmly as a slow smile spread across her full lips, making the shape of her face appear more pleasant and beautiful.
"Ecstatic," she replied flatly, taking a few careful steps toward the fallen Beast Boy, she reached out and placed a glowing blue hand over his body.
"Hey!" Robin said suddenly, stepping forward and pulling her shoulders back. "What are you doing to BB?" He hissed, forcing her to turn around and face him.
"I'm healing him!" She snapped, trying to tug her shoulders away. But, it was to little avail, the powerless superhero turned out to be very strong. "Let me go, so I can finish." She said firmly, feeling the air around them change. It no longer fizzled with tension, rather it felt soft and warm… even in the cool winter, night moon.
Robin wasn't sure why he did it. Maybe it was the fact she was in his arms; maybe it was because her lips shone like silver in the pale moonlight; maybe it was because he found her one of the most attractive women he had ever seen… whatever the reason was, he did it just the same.
He leaned down and kissed her full on the lips; deeply and passionately, refusing to relinquish the mouth back to its owner. His lips danced and played on her own, and his arms snaked around her waist, pulling the dark superheroine closer to himself and pressing her body tightly against his. She was beautiful, even in her harsh sarcasm and darkness, beautiful enough to unlock Robin's primal desires.
He hadn't meant to do it. He truly hadn't. But she was so close… so beautiful…
Robin pulled away slowly, finally returning the lips to their owner. He tried to look into her eyes, but they were covered by a dark mask that hid everything from him. He wanted her to be angry! To be furious and strike out at him with everything she had! To punish him like the bad person he was! But her racing heart, pressed tightly against his chest, told him she felt otherwise… she felt the complete opposite.
Raven's hand crept into his hair and she pulled him down for another kiss, this one more primal than the last. Her mouth opened and their tongues danced and dance that had been done for millennia. His firm hands explored the wild, undiscovered land of her body, and her soft moaning only urged him on more.
Robin slowly pulled away, his chest heaving deeply as every hormone he had poured through his veins and made him go wild with desire and lust. "Raven…" he whispered, his hot breath lingering in the cool air. His fingers slid up the side of her face, and slowly touched the mask that clung to her pale skin.
She didn't stop when his fingers worked under the edge of the fabric, preparing for the mask to come off… he pulled slowly, ready to see her true identity-
"Ugh… that really hurts…" Beast Boy finally stirred, and Robin's gaze shot from the woman in front of him, to his fallen friend. A sudden light of joy shone down upon him, and he rushed to where the green boy lay.
"BB!" Robin cried, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah…" he said, sitting up and rubbing his temples as a headache slowly began to work it's harsh course through his head. "Man, that thing packed a punch. What was that anyway, Rob? It looked like some sort of weird shadow…" He asked, rolling his neck and trying to stretch out the muscles that were tightened from harsh handling.
Robin plopped down in the snow next to his friend and sighed deeply in frustration. "I'm not sure… but Bruce and I are trying to figure that out." He thought slowly and carefully for a moment, then stood up and offered his hand to the green boy on the ground. "Speaking of whom… we should go and pay him a visit."
Beast Boy nodded, a rare serious look crossing over his face. "You're right… we'll go and take care of that right now." He stood up and scanned the rooftop for anymore unwanted visitors, but he saw no one, only a piece of blue fabric fluttering on the ground in the cool winter breeze.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the fabric. Robin's eyes connected with the color, and he knew immediately what it was and who it belonged to.
"Raven…" Robin whispered, then leaped out and grabbed the blue mask that lay on the ground. He scanned the rooftops and peered into the alleyways for her, but she was no where to be found. She had bolted the moment Robin's attention was averted… and it was now the boy wonder's biggest mistake.
- - -
HI THERE FOLKS! HA HA! I think that's the fastest I've ever updated, and one of the longest chapters I've ever written! Aren't you all so proud of me? Okay… so not much has changed in a day, so there isn't anything else I can plug or talk about. So…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
And please review!
(Hey… that rhymes!)
Love: Xaph!
