Chapter XVIII: Blue Doves

Robin quickly pulled out Samuel's gun and disengaged the safety. His eyes were full of tears and his heart was racing. Retribution was the only thing on his mind. He pulled himself up on the boulder and tried to steady his hands across the top as he sighted the enemy. He squeezed hard on the trigger and the first blasts sprung forth towards his opponents.

Robin saw one man fall and the other two scatter in the under brush. Return fire from his flank bounced off the boulder. Robin turned to the side and squeezed off another round before sliding back behind the boulder for cover. He raised his free hand to his head and sobbed to himself. The only thing he could think about was his wife dying slowly in the underbrush. All he wanted was to be with her when she left this world. He didn't care if these thugs put a blast round through the back of his head shortly afterwards at least Starfire wouldn't be alone when she died.

Gato's men were quickly closing in on him; he could hear them calling to one another as they crashed through the surrounding underbrush. Robin held the gun up in front of himself and prepared to fire one last round at his opponents.

Robin's desperate moment was suddenly interrupted by a bright flashed of light and the sound of pounding hoof beats . He could faintly make out the shapes of Raven's sons mounted on a white unicorn coming towards him. In an instant they were by him plunging through the underbrush. Darien shouted in rage as he pulled a small bow from his shoulder.

"ORBIS!" Daniel cried just prior to the first volley from Gato's startled henchmen.

Their blasts refracted away from the Raven's sons as the unicorn closed quickly on the surprised men. The beast lowered its head and drove its horn through the chest of the nearest man. Darien pulled back on his bow then let fly a fiery arrow that quickly passed through the chest of of his colleague. The unicorn knelt down and quickly shook the impaled body from its horn then rose as a flanking volley erupted from the nearby brush. Darien quickly knocked another arrow and found his target. He calmly pulled back on his bow and released his arrow. It flew true striking the last henchman in the chest. Darien watched as the man crumpled lifelessly to the ground. He quickly slid off the back of his mount.

"Go Daniel!" he yelled to his brother.

In an instant Daniel was off urging his mount through the scrubby underbrush towards the area where Starfire went down. Darien watched as his brother galloped away then checked the men that lay near him to make sure there wouldn't be any more surprises from them.

"Darien!" Robin called out in desperation. "I'm over here." Robin clawed his way across the ground desperate to get to his wife's side before she expired.

Darien quickly shouldered his bow then ran to Robin and pulled him up. Robin grabbed onto Darien's shoulder and lunged forward nearly pulling them both down. Darien struggled to keep his balance as the two followed Daniel's trail through the underbrush.

The two emerged in a small clearing. Daniel knelt over Starfire's bloody body. Two gloves were on the ground and the unicorn stood near by intently watching them.

"Starfire!" Robin called through his tears. He lunged towards her hoping he could reach her before she was gone. Daniel quickly stood up and backed away from her prone body. His hands were covered with Starfire's fuchsia colored blood.

Robin collapsed to his knees next to his wife's blast-ridden body. Blood covered her chest dribbling down her side and staining the ground underneath her. She looked so peaceful. Robin swore that he was too late. He lay his head on her chest and wept as he softly stroked her face as he lay his head on her chest. To his astonishment he could hear Starfire's heartbeat. He noticed his head was moving gently up and down as his wife took long relaxed breaths. Robin slowly raised himself from Starfire's body and looked into his wife's peaceful face. "Starfire?"

Robin watched in astonishment as a smile washed over his wife's face. Her eye's fluttered open as she gently lifted herself up into a sitting position and focused her green eyes on her weeping husband.

"My love, why are you crying?" she asked him as she reached out and gently stroked his face.

Robin fought through a sob attempting to reply to his wife's odd question. "I thought you were gone."

Starfire looked confused then smiled to her husband. "I couldn't go. The birds wouldn't let me."

Robin took a deep breath trying to steady himself. "What birds?" he asked.

"The blue and orange ones; they were all around me whistling in the sunshine," she said wistfully as a tremendous smile crossed her face.

"What?" Robin couldn't understand what Starfire was talking about.

Starfire looked down at her blood drenched shirt. "I believe my outfit is ruined."

Robin laughed through his tears. "I'll buy you a hundred new ones when we get home. You can shop all day."

Starfire slowly stood up and smiled at Daniel. She then helped her husband to his feet. Robin turned and looked at Raven's son as he quickly put on his leather gauntlets avoiding eye contact with him. His white tunic was covered in his wife's blood. A memory from a long ago dream suddenly flashed in his head; birds swirling in a bright light then just as quickly it disappeared.

"We should leave before any others show up," Daniel said somberly as he made his way back to his mount. He reached up and lay his hand across the unicorn's cheek. The majestic beast gently lowered himself to the ground.

"Mrs. Grayson you can go with Daniel. I'll help your husband," Darien calmly stepped forward.

"Where are we going?" Starfire asked as she handed her husband to Darien.

"Some place safe," Darien replied.

Robin watched as Daniel and his wife climbed on the back of the unicorn. The beast slowly rose as Starfire wrapped her hands around Daniel's waist to steady herself. Robin smiled; he hoped he could describe this scene well enough for Haley to draw it later.

"Mr. Grayson can I ask you a question?" Darien's voice roused Robin from his thoughts.

Robin took a deep breath trying to clear his head. A lot had happened in the proceeding moments. "Yes Darien, what is it?"

"Um, I was wondering if Haley was dating anyone," Darien asked uncomfortably.

Robin smiled at this unexpected question. "No she's not," he answered in a stern voice. "But I must tell you that my daughter and I have a little agreement between us," he explained to Raven's son. "She promised me not to date anyone until she's twenty-six."

Darien looked up at Robin with a slightly hurt look. "Oh, I see," Darien answered in a disappointed voice. Robin smiled to himself figuring he had derailed any attempt by Raven's son of dating his daughter.

Daniel kicked his heels back and the unicorn strode forward into a bright portal with Robin and Darien following behind them.