A/N: Thanks for reviewing everyone! And I would also like to thank those anonymous reviewers out there too. Thankies everyone!
"Okay Kors, are you sure you're gonna be-"
Kori chuckled lightly with a sad twinkle in her eyes. "Rae, for the tenth time, I'll be fine on my own in the city. I'm just gonna be taking the plane to New York, visit Roy, and then I'll get back here…as soon as I can."
All the titans stood by the T-car feeling overwhelmed with sadness that their friend was leaving after only spending such a short time with them. Richard looked especially crushed. They both locked eyes, trying to break off from one another's stares but they found it impossible to do. The Titans tried to make it seem like they weren't paying any attention and failed at it miserably.
Cyborg and Beastboy were trying to keep in their laughs while their unlucky girlfriends were slapping them out of their inconsideration and Supergirl was fuming on the side.
Nightwing hung his arm against the cab's door and leaned against it. "Kori, are you positive you don't need me there? I mean, I can go if you want; let me just get my bags and I'll-"
Kori giggled silently but yet a smile made its way on her face since two days before when she had found out about Speedy's horrible accident. She watched him talk; he was only flattering himself. Her lips gave him a quick peck on the cheek, literally paralyzing him. Kori hopped into the cab and rolled down the window so that she could face him.
"You worry too much, Boy Wonder," she told him teasingly, seeing as the others had…better things to do.
After the goodbyes and the farewells were done, they all stood there watching the car disappear as it headed off into the distance. Raven and Garfield walked back to the tower hand in hand and Cyborg and Bumblebee had their arms slung around each other, leaving a still stunned Richard. He placed his hand a few minutes later in the spot she had kissed him in, trying to replay the memory over and over again. Supergirl merely stood there watching him daydream about some stupid girl who would never be as good as her. The only things that ran through her mind at that moment were the words: something had to be done.
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Kori inhaled the New York breeze that she missed so much. 'Ahhh…it's so nice to be home."
She gazed at the tall building that towered over her. "This is it," she murmured to herself. She took large steps toward the hospital, oblivious to bewildered citizens who were confused at how oddly she was walking. Blushing as she realized this, she ran in through the doors.
After taking the elevator, she walked up to the receptionist's desk. "Hello, Ma'am, I was just wondering if-"
She cut herself off when she realized the secretary was...busy. "I know…like omigOSH, ME TOO!…Are you kidding me?…yeah, I know, what a loser! Don't tell me that she-"
"Um, excuse me?" Kori interrupted politely. This only caused the twenty-year old girl to give her a dirty look.
"Can't you see I'm busy right now?"
"Well, I don't really see what the –"
The girl (Kori squinted to see what her name was), Shirley, went back to talking "ditz" (believe it or not, it's a language) with the person on the other line.
"You know, Richard Grayson is like freakin' hot!…No duh!…Hon, don't waste your time, he'll never notice YOU…and you're asking me how I KNOW!…You wanna know why? Cause he made out with me, that's why!"
Kori's ears blocked out the rest of Shirley's conversation after that sentence. It repeated in her mind like some broken record. "Cause he made out with me, that's why!" What a player!
'First he breaks my heart with some bimbo, and now a ditzy twenty year old? That little mother…"Little did she know, steam was visible coming out from her ears, causing the feisty girl to become suddenly frightened and hang up the phone.
"Uh, heh heh heh…was there something you needed?" Shirley asked worryingly.
"Um, I'm looking for a Roy Harper?"
While Shirley flipped through the pages of her hospital check-in book, Kori decided it was time for some answers.
"So, uh…I heard you talking about Richard Grayson."
The confused girl looked up from her book. "Yeah? Why do you wanna know?" she answered suspiciously.
"I'm- I-I work for the New York Times and I was…featuring an article on Richard Grayson," Kori lied.
"Well, you see," Shirley answered, thinking she would have newfound fame after the interview, "we met at this bar called Tiger Room, and then…."
Deep in thought, Kori paid no attention to the talking blonde. After five hours of nonstop "likes" and "omigoshes" after every sentence, she suddenly realized what she was really there for.
"Um, I have to go now, later!"
She pivoted away from the desk and strutted furiously.
"Hey! But don't you wanna know when we-"
"I SAID I HAVE TO GO!"
Kori sighed after she got silence from Shirley and inhaled deeply to calm her nerves. Green was NOT her best color.
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Kori stormed out of the hospital close to tears. She hated seeing him like that. It had pained her to see him hooked up to many machines. Only staying there for a couple of minutes had her running out the door crying. And now here she was, out wandering in the alleys at a dangerous time in the middle of the night. The clicks of her heels echoed throughout each lane, but she could feel someone- something watching her. A streak of black flew past her face. "What the-"
"Hey Cutie, guess who's back."
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"And guess who's back, again-"
Click"Here ve are, cooking in ze one and onlyFrance! And now for ze lesso-"
Click.
"Uh-huuh, baby please don't leeeave me! La La Laaaa-"
"WOULD YOU JUST LEAVE IT ON ONE CHANNEL!"
"Jeez, NIGHTIE. So-rry! I just wanted to see what was on," retorted Beastboy. He clicked it once more. "Here, the news. Happy now?"
"Yeah, whatever." Things hadn't been the same without Starf- Kori around. Actually, things had gone back to the way they used to be right after she ran away. Supergirl was just chatting on the phone with some guy; he was surprised he didn't even care. As if it wasn't already obvious that she wasn't cheating on him; her "whisper" was like a squealing chimp. He was so tired of that lazy slut lying around in his bedroom talking to random guys. Maybe he should just go and break up with her right now….
He walked over to her and was about an inch away when-
"Hello, I'm Anne Burkes, and tonight there has been breaking news. A girl about around twenty years old has been kidnapped by the famous "Red-X"…"
Nightwing turned around stiffly. 'Please don't be Starfire, Please don't be-"
"She has been descibed and identified as Kori Anders. If you know anything about her whereabouts, please notify our news station. There have been very few witnesses at this scene of crime," the newscaster continued. "Here is one of them- Lee Ferguson."
The camera turned slowly to face a young man. "Me and my boys was all checkin' out the alleys. Alluva sudden, some dude comes and he swoops down grabbin' her. Ehh, called her 'Cutie' or somethin' like that."
Nightwing fumed. "Cutie! CUTIE!" He stood there with his face red as the Titans rushed in upon hearing his sudden outburst.
"What is it now, Dick?" Raven asked with her arms crossed.
"Kori- she's been- Red….Just watch!" he stuttered exasperatingly as he pointed at the TV.
They turned to see Anne Burkes with a tape in her hand. "This was left at the crime scene with a note that read to play it."
The focus on the newscaster blurred and a view of a dark alley appeared, a dimly lit streetlight glowing. A young woman in a chic, white overcoat and purple heels with red hair was walking down the paved road, her face streaked with tears. Richard caught sight of something black dart from one building to another, getting closer and closer to her. Suddenly he swooped down and walked towards the poor, frightened girl, backing her into a corner. Red-X. His face was dangerously close to hers and he whispered something in her ear, making Richard grit his teeth. Strike one.
He slid his finger up and down her face. Richard watched the television intently as Kori tried to fight him off, kicking and screaming. All of a sudden, her screams died down as she sunk into Red-X's arms limply. Red-X lifted his arm and threw something to the ground. A needle. 'Strike two for him,' Richard thought disgustedlyas he now crossed his arms tightly.
Red-X dropped a tape and picked up Kori's lifeless body from the ground. He began to stroke her hair tenderly, and he bent down to kiss her with pure gentleness, as if she was as fragile as porcelain. Then he left.
'Well, that's only THE FINAL STRAW!' Richard yelled in "his mind".
The Titans looked worriedly at their leader as Cyborg quickly turned the TV off. "Dude, you just said that out loud. Like, really loud," Beastboy said as Richard just glared at him. He was clenching his fists so tight that you could hear his fingers crack, andwalked towards the sliding doors.
"Man, where you goin' now?"
Nightwing paused without turning his head and continued to walk to his room.
"New York."
A/N: So did you like it? A lot of people were like, "please let Nightwing go to New York with Kori!" so I did and I hope you liked how I wrote it. Please review too!
Also, join the fan fiction contest at my forum! The rules are posted there.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!