Hiya everyone! :o) Alas, we have finally reached the chapter where Dick looses it! Heh… When it comes to this story, I find Dick hardest to write so please forgive me if he seems out of character. Or anyone else for that matter.
Oh yeah, this chapter, Dick kinda has a cursing fit, nothing major or past PG13 but he does say the 's' word. So heads up. :o)
Disclaimer: Yeah, so, I don't own anything yada yada yada… On with the chapter!
Carnival.
"Dick couldn't help his lips from curving upward ever so slightly. His anger and bitterness melted away for that one moment. That one look that made him feel something deep down that had been long forgotten.
Dick crossed his arms as he prepared for Garfield's counter statement.
Come on you know its true," Garfield said, looking at everyone, trying to get support. "They always kill off the good looking comic relief guy first,"
"And…" Victor said innocently enough, looking toward the ceiling, cupping his hand around his ear, blinking his eyes.
Garfield scowled.
"And… I—" He scowled more, "I like to wear purple spandex…" The lanky boy responded reluctantly, voice fading as he crossed his arms defiantly.
Victor laughed, Raven shook her head, Dick rolled his eyes and Kori smiled.
Victor and Garfield had somehow gotten into a debate on who knew more about the secret levels of 'Attack of the Protozoids', which was some sort of video game. To solve the matter they ended up creating a sort of trivia question game, where they each asked five questions and whoever got the most wrong had to comply to the winners dare.
In the Lightening Round, Garfield had lost, and was made to say, "I like to wear purple spandex" at the end of each sentence.
Kori consented, it did get a bit old, as Garfield hadn't shut up in the past half hour or so, but the important thing was. They were no longer fighting, and Kori intended to keep it that way.
"Yes, but, the good looking woman is never killed off…" She interceded.
"Of course she's never killed off," Victor responded with a wave of his hand. "You gotta figure, mostly guys are watching these gory scary movies,"
"So the hot chick has to make it to the end so her clothes get artfully torn and her hair gets super messy. Although, by the end she's usually covered in alien goop and dirt and stuff, which is kinda nasty… yet… oddly sexy," Garfield responded, hand on his chin. Victor gave him a look. "And, I like to wear purple spandex…" He muttered.
"But why do we, as girls, only get to observe the sexy man for the first half hour of the picture?" Kori questioned. Dick made a strange sound that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle covered by a cough. However, the group now knew better than to say anything.
"It's alright Kori," Garfield responded, "If you want to observe a sexy guy, I can always give you a picture," He said with a grin flexing his muscle.
"Really? Of which man?" Kori responded eagerly. Garfield hit his head. And Victor laughed.
"And I like to wear purple spandex…" Garfield responded.
"Will you please stop saying that…" Raven growled. "It's getting very old, very fast…"
"Heh…" Garfield said sheepishly and cleared his throat.
The tentative, budding friendly conversation died. And the group was stuck sitting in fairly uncomfortable silence.
Kori frowned slightly. It had taken forever to get that conversation going. The strange thing was. It started with a fight between Victor and Garfield. The two had been going at it like bitter enemies, and then somehow video games had come up and then the two were arguing like close brothers.
It was the strangest thing Kori had ever seen. And now it was gone. Biting her lip, she was determined to get the conversation going again. What better way to do that, then to bring up the topic that started it.
"Has anyone played the game, 'Mega Monkeys Four'? It is quite entertaining,"
"Entertaining?! Dude, it's like one of the best games ever!" Garfield responded zealously.
"Beat the game like eight times already," Victor added, "Couldn't put it down!"
"I have yet to beat it… My sister," She frowned as she said it, "Has though. She is much better at the video games than I." She announced, her face falling as thoughts of her sister came flooding. "And the reading of poetry, the playing of sports, the contests of pie eating…" She couldn't help it as all her insecurities flowed out of her mouth.
The rest of the group all exchanged glances. Dick scooted closer to Kori.
"And she knows when people are not talking about shovels!" Kori added half indignant, half embarrassed, rubbing her elbow.
Dick's hand was halfway to her shoulder when his face contorted in confusion. What had she just said? He spared a glance at the other three. By the looks on their faces, they had no idea either. Shaking his head, he dropped his hand.
"Everybody has their strong points," He responded, Kori looked up, surprised by his gentle tone.
"But being good at everything, isn't well… everything. I mean, you may not be as good as your sister when it comes to games, but you're the best uh… person that I've um—" Dick stumbled over his words, as though he had forgotten how to say something nice.
Kori waited looking at him in wonder, he had taken off the mask… for the moment at least.
Victor, Garfield and Raven however, were still in shock over his drastic and sudden change of character.
"I mean," he rubbed the back of his neck, "You—well, you know…" He finished lamely. It was silent for a moment.
"Thank you Richard," Kori responded with a wide, innocent grin, "That was the nicest thing someone has ever almost said to me."
Richard looked to the floor with a small smile.
"That was weird…" Garfield whispered in Victor's ear. The jock nodded.
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Victor decided to restart the conversation.
"Uh, yeah, you can't be good at everything," Victor shrugged, "I mean, I suck at carnival games,"
"Dude me too! Those things are such a rip!" Garfield agreed enthusiastically.
"Yes, I was never fond of the carnival games, I much preferred the cotton candy," Kori added.
"Although I did win once, it was a giant chicken!" Garfield responded proudly.
"A giant chicken…" Raven repeated rolling her eyes. Garfield turned to her.
"You know you want a giant chicken Raven, if you want I can give it to you free of charge," Garfield waggled his eyebrows.
"I must be the luckiest girl in the world…" Raven responded in monotone, rolling her eyes. Kori smiled at the interaction. Even Raven was coming out of her shell somewhat.
"What of you and your carnival experiences Richard?" Kori questioned turning to the black haired boy with a smile. Not at all expecting the reaction she received.
He was sitting, a detached, cold, fearful look on his face. His arms were crossed and he was staring into nothingness. His mask was back.
"Richard," Kori probed carefully.
"Looks like he's back to normal," Garfield muttered in Victor's ear.
Dick continued staring out into nothing. Lost and drowning in his own thoughts.
"What's up? Have bad carnival experiences?" Garfield questioned.
He didn't notice Dick tense or the fierce gleam that shone in his eyes.
"It was the carnies wasn't it?" Garfield started, "They always creeped me out, especially the people in the shows with—"
"SHUT UP!" Dick snapped viciously. Garfield instinctively jerked back. Victor glared and Kori watched on a little frightened as she began to piece things together in her mind.
Dick glared at all of them. Something in him was triggered. And it was coming out.
"You! All of you! Have no idea! And she's gone!" Dick snapped, holding his head. "She's gone… they're gone…" He breathed harshly, squeezing his steel blue eyes shut.
Victor dropped his glare. The whole group stared at him fearfully, even Raven. No one knew what to do or say. It was deathly silent.
Kori bit her lip as she stared at Dick painfully. It all became clear. She gulped, but knew she had to do it. She had to get him to let out whatever he was holding in before it completely consumed him.
She took a deep breath as she glanced at Dick's tense form one last time before casting her emerald eyes to the ground.
"What- what happened to her?" She questioned quietly, looking softly toward the ground and back up.
"What!?" Dick snapped, glaring at her harshly. Kori painfully looked away, grabbing her elbow.
"To your Mother…" She swallowed. The other three, even Garfield, knew to keep silent. They all tried to discreetly get Kori's attention. Get her to drop it, but the red head was determined. This needed to happen. He needed to get it out.
Dick didn't answer. It was deathly silent. And then, as though he couldn't help it, couldn't stop it. He spoke.
"You want to know?" He spoke, colder than ice. Kori nodded weakly, chancing a glance at him. A sick, twisted grin was on his face, his eyes hollow and glinting with something Kori couldn't finger.
"They were murdered," He spoke with that same twisted smile, in a voice that chilled Kori to the bone. She shuttered involuntarily. The room was deathly quiet. "Both of them…" His voice was getting shaky, and his chest was heaving. Soon he was gulping air, his eyes suspiciously glassy.
"THEY WERE MURDERED!!" He shouted, Kori cowered, truly afraid of the tortured boy before her. "And I watched it…I watched it…" The boy became engulfed in shaky, dry sobs. Looking like a lost little boy trapped in a teenager's body.
Kori found traces of tears coming to her eyes.
The rest of the group sat there in fear and shock. What did you do after something like that? How were you supposed to act? What were you supposed to say? What were you supposed to do?
"That- that bastard… cut- cut the rope… he cut it… they fell… I saw… I saw…" Dick stuttered, and he looked up. A sparkle in his eye. "I swear I'm gonna kill him… I'm gonna find him… He—" He shut his eyes painfully.
Kori stared at him pathetically. Swallowing the strange painful feeling in her throat and blinking away a tear. Kori plucked up all her courage to speak.
"Please… please do not harbor so much hatred… they- they will not come back…" Kori said quietly. The other three watched Kori helplessly, unable to say anything, and unable to prepare themselves for Dick's response.
"What?!" Dick snarled fiercely. Kori opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "What the hell do you know about it! You don't know shit! God damn little Miss perfect! What the hell would you know about what I feel! What the hell do you know!" Dick burst fiercely standing, throwing his chair behind him with a roar.
Kori flinched but stood up as well.
"I know that hatred does not bring back loved ones…" Kori responded simply, "I have tried… they do not come back…"
It seemed that Dick, as well as everyone else was thrown for a loop. Dick recovered quickly.
"What?" He snarled, still angry and hurt.
"The drunken driver… of the car." Kori held her elbow and looked up at Dick, "He… I used to hate him so… He had…taken them away…"
Dick's face was no longer contorted in anger. Instead, a strange look had replaced it. A painful vulnerable one.
"But… my hatred did not bring my parents back…" She chanced another glance at him. "It will not bring yours back…" She said, swallowing, her voice no louder than a whisper.
Dick's eyes softened. With that he fell into her arms and collapsed into sobs.
A surprised look crossed Kori's features as she softly patted his back.
Victor, Garfield and Raven watched the interaction awkwardly. Looking as though they would rather be anywhere but there.
OOOOkay, here Dick completely looses it. Boy those Titans sure have some serious issues… Heh. But hey, itleads toa Rob/Star kinda moment.This chapter was weird to write. I'm so used to writing comedy and this is quite the opposite. :oP
Sorry if this was er… intense. I read somewhere that Dick's parents were trapeze people in the circus and they were murdered. This is kind of my take on what would happen to Robin if he didn't have Batman to er ease the pain I guess.
Um forgive me if this chapter was hokey and seems like it belongs on some bad soap opera :oP. I really did try my best on it. The more I read it the more I hate it though.
Eh, I'll shut up now. Let me know what ya think. Review. :o)