Grayson stared at the spot where his pregnant spouse and daughter stood just moments before. That they would be safe on Tamaran was a relief for him. At the same time he felt his heart sink into the bottom of his stomach, as he knew that he might never see them again, or ever see his second born at all. And he was going to volunteer with the quarantine taskforce in Africa, which meant that his job was going to be keeping people from escaping from the region where the outbreak had begun. He would be effectively containing them, even those who were not infected, and sentencing them to a certain death. So in effect, what he would be doing to these innocent people was the very same thing the Green Lantern Corps was doing to Earth. It would be cold and heartless; there would be no option to show mercy. It simply had to be done for the greater good.
The worst part of it all was that he now had to break the news to his teammates. He sighed and as he made his way out of the bedroom he walked past the mirrored sliding closet doors. His reflection looked slouched and broken. He stopped and grimaced at what he saw.
Pull it together, Grayson.
He assumed his normal posture and frowned at his reflection.
That's better; you're a hero Grayson, so act like one.
Minutes later Nightwing entered the common room. Cyborg and Bumblebee were having breakfast, chatting quietly while Aqualad and Speedy were playing a videogame. Teether, Tommy and Melvin were cleaning up in the kitchen. The tin man looked up when the sliding doors opened.
"Yo, Nightwing, we gotta talk, something big is going on. Something really big."
"You mean all the Green Lanterns in orbit?"
Cyborg's face fell.
"You know about that already?" Cyborg frowned. "What else do you know?"
"Everyone, stop what you're doing and come here. You all need to hear this."
The three teens in the kitchen stopped their cleaning while Speedy and the Fishstick shut down their videogame and took their places at the round table with the large T emblazoned on its surface.
"Where are Starfire and Mar'i?" Melvin asked.
"They're on their way to Tamaran."
"Nightwing, what's going on? What are you not telling us?" Bumblebee asked in a low, accusatory tone.
Grayson explained to them about the plague, the quarantine, Garfield's involvement with a search for a cure, the averted war between the Green Lantern Corps and Starfire's unplanned exile back to Tamaran. After he finished a dead silence hung in the room. Aqualad was the first to break the silence.
"What about Atlantis? The virus will never get there, plus we Atlanteans are immune to HIV anyway. Are they just going to throw us into the sun as well?"
"I'm afraid so Garth. The Guardians on Oa have decided this and they have the support of the intergalactic community. In fact, if it wasn't for the Guardians and the Lanterns, we'd be toast already. The InterGalactic Congress wanted to destroy Earth immediately. The Guardians decided to give us a chance to find the cure. They won't have the Lanterns throw Earth into the sun until all hope is lost."
"And when will that be?" Speedy asked.
"When everyone is infected and dying … which leads to the next thing I'm going to tell you … I'm going to help enforce the quarantine."
Gasps were heard around the room.
"Nightwing, you can't be serious … not everyone in the quarantine area is infected." Tommy croaked in disbelief. "It's a death sentence."
"You think I don't know that? But if the quarantine in Uganda fails, the plague will spread like wildfire. It will be a death sentence for the human race."
Grayson rubbed his temples. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but the quarantine is slowly failing. The infected area is growing. The better we contain it, the more time we buy for Garfield and the other scientists to find a cure … and the way things are going now, time isn't on our side."
"So, I take it you're leaving immediately." Cyborg asked.
"Yes, as soon as I pack, I'm off to New York. The United Nations is coordinating the quarantine. Do any of you want to join and help?"
The only response he received was a sea of blank faces. He was expecting that. They were too emotional, unable to slash through the layers of sentimentality that blinded them from seeing the difficult yet correct choice that had to be made.
"If any of you changes your mind, I'm planning on leaving in an hour." He announced in a dry, emotionless voice as he turned to leave.
-( scene break )-
The limo stopped in front of a chain link gate. There was a small guard booth with signage indicating that this was a weather monitoring station for the National Weather Service and that trespassing was forbidden by federal law. A collection of temporary structures stood beyond the fence, along with various anemometers, Doppler radar dishes and other various sensors.
"Nice cover, no one would guess that the lab is here." Gar mumbled as a security guard checked the limo's driver's ID and waved them through.
"I take that this facility isn't new." Raven added.
"Luthor built this place years ago to study alien biology. It was never used. It's one of the reasons he won the bid. Neither Wayne nor Sivana had anything like this, ready to go online." Alexa replied.
The limo pulled around the back of the makeshift complex, where another guard stood by a door. Alexa emerged from the car, carrying Mark. As she approached the door the guard opened a panel on the wall, exposing a retinal scanner. Alexa leaned over, placing her right eye over the reader. Seconds later a loud clunk was heard behind the door, which the guard pulled open, revealing a oversized elevator. Alexa beckoned the Logans to follow her and once the door behind them closed they began their descent, which was prolonged. As they descended Alexa continued speaking.
"The complex is one thousand feet underground, and is serviced by three elevators like this one. The top ten levels are habitat levels. The top two are the commons and they include the dining hall, various sporting facilities, including two pool areas, one which is clothing optional."
"I thought this was a work facility." Raven interrupted.
"It is, but people need to be able to blow off steam. And just so you know, anything goes in the clothing optional pool area. So don't go there if you are easily offended by nudity or open sexuality … there is also an open bar, which is the only place you can obtain alcoholic beverages in the facility."
"Do you also provide hookers and blow?" Raven asked.
Alexa smiled. "Cute … Most of the staff is young and single, so we expect there will plenty of hooking up. Like I said, the staff will need a way to deal with the stress. They can find it in the bar or the bedroom, most likely both. Of course, drunkenness isn't tolerated and women outnumber men by almost two to one, so we don't expect any testosterone induced fighting."
"You seem to have this all figured out. Are we the only married couple present?"
"Not at all, there are others, some younger, some not. I expect you will socialize with them, at least when we aren't together."
Before Raven could think of something to say the elevator came to a halt and with a chime the doors swung open, revealing what could have passed for a small shopping mall. There were dozens of "stores", which carried all sorts of items, which were free of charge.
"This way, we need to get you registered." Alexa smiled again.
She led them to what looked like a hotel check in counter. The song "Hotel California" suddenly played in Raven's mind. A clerk grinned at them.
"I see that the Logans have arrived. I'm Matt McCall; I'm the concierge here at our little resort."
"You're a … concierge?" Raven asked warily. "You're kidding, right?"
"Matt is married to Dr. Barbara McCall. Outside he's an advertising executive. Since he chose to come with his wife he needed something to so. He graciously volunteered to be our concierge, a job he shares with Cynthia Brossard. We allowed the researchers to bring spouses and significant others with them, and since we have need of many people to perform non research work, it's a win-win."
"Alexa's right. My job is to make sure that all of your needs are taken care of. If I can't do it, I'll find someone who can. And speaking of which, Dr. Roth, we have a library that hasn't opened yet. We were wondering if you would like to be our Librarian."
Raven hesitated at first. "Well … I suppose I could help out there."
"Fantastic! Now we just need to check you in. I'll need your biometrics." He announced as he gestured at a palm reader, which looked just like the ones they used to have in the Tower. Raven placed her palm on the reader, and after Matt typed a few commands it scanned her hand.
"Perfect, now I just need to take a picture." He pulled out a digital camera and snapped a shot of Raven. "Excellent, you're in the system now."
He then pulled out what looked like a large stapling gun. "Now if you'll give me your right arm."
"What is that?" The changeling barked.
"Relax Gar; Matt's just going to insert an RFID chip in Raven's arm, right under her skin. It's harmless, it's just like the chips you put in dogs and cats. We all have one. It's important to know where everyone is at any time."
"I see Luthor thinks of everything." Raven remarked dryly as Matt applied the chip into her forearm.
"It's why he won the bid."
Matt repeated the check in process with Garfield.
"OK, your room is 7123. The seventh level has been reserved for married couples or anyone with children. Your palm is your key. Of course, we know that Dr. Roth can phase through walls, but we'd prefer it if you didn't do that … it messes up the RFID chips … so any questions?"
"What about the medical facility?" Garfield asked.
"It's on level 2. I got Tina Felty to run it, she's arriving tomorrow." Alexa interrupted. "It's gonna be like old times Gar, except for Janey, she actually turned down the offer to work here, all because of a misunderstanding."
"Do you sleep with everyone's boyfriends and husbands?" Raven hissed.
Alexa looked startled for a split second, before recovering. Matt looked away, also looking embarrassed.
"I thought you were an empath, Raven, not a mind reader."
"What other kind of 'misunderstanding' would you have had?" Raven narrowed her eyes.
Alexa looked defiant. "Janey and Geoffrey weren't talking to each other when I slept with him, he was fair game. And Garfield wasn't your boyfriend back then either. Get over it Raven, I didn't do anything wrong. We're adults; and adults have sex. I suggest you let it go Raven. We aren't all traumatized puritans like you."
"You take that back!" Garfield growled.
Alexa gave them a contrite smile. "I'm sorry, Raven, that was uncalled for. But I do stand by my words: I didn't do anything wrong. If what I did with your husband four years ago, when you weren't even in a romantic relationship with him, bothers you … well, we also have a full time psychologist; she's an expert with couple's therapy."
Alexa thought she saw Raven's eyes turn red for a split second. While that didn't make her gasp, the voice that she suddenly heard in her mind did.
If you even try to make a move on my husband, I will introduce you to forms of pain you couldn't begin to imagine.
"Are you OK, Dr. Pontone?" Raven innocently asked her in signature monotone.
Alexa glared at Raven. "I'll show you to your room. It's across the hall from mine. Just relax Raven, we'll become good friends. You'll see."
We'll become good friends? When pigs fly.
Stay out of my mind, witch.
Stay away from my husband, bitch.
And how are you doing this? How are you getting past the implant? You shouldn't be able to read my mind!
Have you ever heard of magic?
Garfield took Raven's and held it. While he couldn't hear the private telepathic conversation, he knew it was happening. They followed Alexa to one of in intramural elevators, which did not connect to the surface. They rode down to the habitat level and Alexa led them to their door. Raven placed her palm on the reader and a green light flashed while the door slid open.
"The dining hall is on level 2, next to the gym. It opens at 6PM for dinner. Go ahead and rest. Tomorrow we start working. I was hoping to have dinner with you tonight, but I think a rain check would be a good idea. Let's meet for breakfast at 6:30AM instead …"
Mark waved goodbye to Garfield and he reciprocated. As soon as the door slid shut, Gar turned to his wife.
"What did you tell her?"
"What else? To stay away from you."
"Rave, I have to work with her …"
"And she can do that professionally … she wants me to see a shrink … I have to give her credit … she's good."
"Maybe we should see the psychologist, both of us … these are going to be difficult times for us, very stressful." He said softly.
"We don't need to see a marriage counselor … there's nothing wrong with our marriage."
"I know, I know. If we were back home in our apartment over Azarathia everything would be fine. But that's not the situation. We're stuck in this … hole. I'm going to be working around the clock and Coraline is coming and the whole world is threatened by this plague … I have an idea, why don't we call Dick and Starfire. That'll take our minds off of this mess."
Raven nodded reluctantly. "Starfire can be excessively positive, but maybe that's what I need right now."
Garfield approached a console. "Our communicators won't work down here, but we can make an old fashioned phone call."
He dialed the number and within seconds Cyborg's unusually melancholic face appeared on the screen.
"Hey B, Raven."
"Whoa! What's wrong Tin Man? You look like you just got back from a funeral."
"Nothing that bad."
"So what happened?" Raven asked.
"Star's gone."
"What do you mean by 'gone'?"
"She and Nightstar went back to Tamaran."
"What about Nightwing? Did he go with them?"
"No, he took a leave of absence and left for New York a few hours ago. He's gonna help the United Nations with the quarantine in Africa."
"So Starfire left without saying goodbye?"
"She did. Nightwing said there was no time. She was smuggled off Earth before the quarantine took effect."
"Smuggled? Who smuggled her?"
"I don't know, Raven. Nightwing said it was a secret. If I knew more I'd tell you ... sorry … so, how are you guys doing?"
"Don't even ask." Raven groaned.
-( scene break )-
Nightwing arrived at United Nations complex at around 3PM. Bureaucrats were coming and going in the main lobby, and a few cast a brief look at the spandex clad man but quickly ignored him and continued on their way. Grayson was about to approach the receptionist when he heard a voice behind him
"You sure took your sweet time to come." A gruff voice barked at him from behind.
Nightwing calmly turned around and found himself face to face with a silver haired man.
"Colonel Faraday."
"Nightwing, AKA Richard Grayson."
Dick's eyes popped open behind his mask. "How?"
"Don't sweat it kid, it's my job to know. And your secret is safe. Only Amanda Waller and I know. Anyway, you're late. Come with me, I want to introduce you to your partner."
"My partner?"
"Yes … walk with me and I'll explain."
After entering a private elevator Faraday continued. "We need someone to patrol a particular mountainous area. Conventional ground forces are too slow and villagers can easily circumvent them. However, a team of two stealthy vigilantes could easily patrol the mountains and intercept the escapee's. You will of course wear protective gear for the virus."
"So my partner is another superhero?"
Faraday sneered. "You people like to think of yourselves that way, don't you?"
"Then what are we?"
"Like I said, you're vigilantes. And right now that's what we need to plug that gaping hole."
Nightwing gave Faraday a mild glare as they exited the elevator.
"Oh, don't be so offended. You're useful, isn't that good enough for you?"
"A little recognition would be nice."
Faraday turned to face the masked Titan. "You keep that quarantine under control long enough for those eggheads to find a cure, and I'll replace the Statue of Liberty with your likeness."
They stopped in front of Faraday's office.
"Time to meet your partner."
Faraday opened the door. A woman was seated in a wingback chair, facing away from the door. As she stood up Dick noticed her red hair. She turned around and smiled though her cowl. Her black spandex suit had yellow accents and a bat logo adorned her shapely chest. Nightwing did a double take. The last time he saw her, she was wheelchair bound. Now she was standing before him, her muscle's rippling under her spandex.
He remembered well the day he received the news. It had been a bad day at the Tower, just a few weeks before they went their separate ways. It was a bank robbery, Johnny Rancid to be precise. As usual he had one of his robotic creations with him, a mechanical bull. When they arrived the giant robot was trashing everything in sight with its horns, while Rancid, who was clutching the stereotypical money bags in his hands, complete with dollar signs printed on them, laughed.
"I'm feeling kind of bullish today, Titans!"
Beast Boy frowned. "I hate this guy, let's take him down."
Before anyone could reply he morphed into a triceratops and charged at the mechanical Ferdinand. As the green dinosaur attacked something unexpected happened. The bull's horns retracted and were instantly replaced by two high caliber machine gun barrels, which made a buda-buda sound as they began to fire in tandem. The triceratops was tough, but not that tough, and the bullets found their mark on his heavy skull. Fortunately the hit the peripheral regions of his skull and missed his brain. Nevertheless the wounds were gruesome and the dinosaur stumbled and fell, morphing back into his human form. The changeling slid to a stop and a small pool of blood began to form around his head.
"Garfield!" Raven screamed at the top of her lungs as she flew to his side. Meanwhile Starfire and Cyborg, in a single minded rage, attacked the mechanical bull with eye beams, sonic cannons and starbolts, quickly destroying it, while Robin apprehended Rancid. Raven teleported Beast Boy back to the infirmary. By the time the others returned she had almost finished healing his gruesome head wounds. The effort was so extreme on her part that she collapsed and had to be admitted to the infirmary herself. In the end it turned out OK, but Robin was shaken by the incident and his fiancé suggested that they have an early night and rest.
Just as they were pulling back the covers there was an incoming call … from Gotham. It was the first time someone called from Gotham since he formed the team, and he was wondering what the occasion was.
There is an old adage that late night calls are always bad news and it was proven true that night. Alfred Pennyworth was calling, and with a grim face he delivered the bad news: The Joker had shot Barbara Gordon and that she was now paralyzed below the waist.
Eight years later Dick stared at his old friend. She had become "Oracle", the eyes and ears of the Batclan, who from her perch up in a penthouse high above Gotham she kept a finger on the pulse of the city. She sat seven years in that wheelchair until the day of the miraculous surgery. Her destroyed spine was repaired and after some rehab and four months later she was able to able to stand again on her own two feet.
Grayson felt a twinge of guilt. Even though Bludhaven was close to Gotham he didn't go to see her a single time, nor did he call her. And he knew why.
Robin never told his teammates, not even Starfire, the he and Barbara Gordon were briefly a couple … an intimate couple. It was the main reason he initially kept Starfire at an arm's length, even though he and Barbara officially broke when he left for Jump City. It wasn't until Tokyo that the Boy Wonder was finally able to get over his ex and move on with Starfire. He knew that Barbara was surrounded by people who supported her, and that she didn't need him there.
But now she was standing in front of him in her full Batclan glory. Her poise was perfect; her muscles looked sensuous and rock hard. Memories came flooding back, and he remembered everything … absolutely everything.
"Babs!"
"There will be time later for the two of you to catch up." Faraday interrupted. "Right now I need to brief you on your mission. Your transport leaves from JFK in an hour, so we need to make this snappy." He continued as he pointed at a map.
-( scene break )-
Blackfire moaned happily as she played with Frassa'd's raven colored hair. The young lieutenant was nothing special to look at, but he knew his way around a woman's body, he knew where and how to touch a woman to give her the utmost in pleasure and he was very well endowed. And as far as Blackfire was concerned, nothing else mattered in a man. Love, tenderness, fidelity, devotion, those were things that weaklings valued. Blackfire learned from an early age that you had to take forcefully to get what you wanted, that if you waited for someone to give it to you willingly, that you would never get it. This wisdom applied to power as well as pleasure, and for the time being Frassa'd pleased her but once he no longer did she would simply discard him like a worn out sock and replace him. He couldn't complain though … if he did, she would just kill him of course, but she knew that he enjoyed her charms as well. It was a truly symbiotic relationship. Neither of them cared for each other, but they benefitted in their exchange. Sure, he pretended to love her, but she knew better than to believe that.
She rose from their bed and walked, stark naked, onto the large balcony off of her room, staring into the nighttime sky. A few minutes later he joined her on the balcony. He covered her with a robe, draping it over her shoulders. "Milady, someone might see you."
She shrugged the robe off, and it fell to the ground. "Don't worry, everyone already has."
He picked up the robe and also gazed into the sky. "What are you looking at?"
She pointed at the sky. "Do you see that dull, yellow star in the sky? The one near the Alpha system?"
"I do, it looks very unremarkable."
"It's quite ordinary. It has a single inhabitable world."
"Do they have a name?"
"They have many, but they are commonly known as Sol and Terra."
"They are unremarkable names, milady."
"Indeed they are. Sol simply means 'sun' and Terra means 'earth' in a dead Terran language called Latin."
"This is the world where your sister lives, the one cursed with the plague."
"It is, and she is trapped there. Sometimes I cannot believe my own luck."
Frassa'd placed a hand on her exposed hip. Blackfire frowned, as she had not given him permission to touch her now, but being that she was in a good mood she decided to let that faux pas slip for the time being.
"Milady, when you are once again the Grand Ruler, will you remember me?"
She turned and gave a saucy smile. "Frassa'd, I could never forget you." She took his hand and began to lead him back into her bedchambers, as she was ready for an encore. As they walked, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, jerking her as he was still holding her hand. Blackfire was miffed and also turned around, ready to give him a tongue lashing. She didn't though, as she saw the same thing he did: an emerald star was descending from the sky. She ran to the balcony's edge to get a better view. The emerald star grew bigger and soon it could be seen that it was a sphere that glowed with a unique emerald color. It was a Green Lantern.
As they watched from their perch the sphere landed on the palace's main balcony, and dozens of warriors rushed out to intercept it, aiming their pikes and lances at it. Finally, Galfore emerged and approached the sphere, gesticulating wildly while even more warriors rushed out.
"Hmmm… this could be interesting … Frassa'd, bring me my clothes. I might need them."
He quickly returned and without taking an eye off of the scene she donned her outfit. As she finished dressing the green sphere evaporated and to her surprise the warriors lowered their lances.
"No, it can't be … Frassa'd, get me …"
He was a step ahead of her and handed his lady a pair of binoculars, which she eagerly took. After getting a better look she cursed.
"Milady?"
She threw the binoculars down; smashing them on the balcony's stone surface.
"That Green Lantern, he brought my sister and her half breed brat here from Earth."
"What about her mate?"
"The weakling? I don't see him anywhere; maybe she came to her senses and abandoned him to his fate."
Frassa'd looked disturbed. "What does this mean, milady."
She glared at him. "It means we come up with a new plan, you idiot!"
-( scene break )-
Not one of my longer chapters, but I update fast. Still overwhelmed by all the reviews! Thanks!
MeowSaysKat – Even more so now that Tamaran I son the picture
ToraHimeSama – Raven is starting to lose her cool and so is Blackfire
krostovikraven1 - No worries, it's just Rage being Rage, she likes all men. Fortunately she isn't in charge.
Randamwriter – That would annoy Alexa, but Raven is too classy to do that.
gabylokita41 – Zombie Lisa Ashmore! Why didn't I think of that? You gotta have some "in between" chapters to set things up. And things in the lab are going to get strange.
TheDarkChangeling – Luthor always has a plan.
diamonds in a ruff2 – Poor Mark, he is caught in the middle
titanfan45 – You know what they say: You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family.
Guest – Ask Sinestro for help? Careful what you wish for … you might get it
SuperNolon – With Blackfire you never know.
Anoymous136 – I borrowed Kessa'd from my hero, the great Sir Alwick
greenhatred77 – We like it that way
The Cretin – Raven might see Nightwing as more than just a brother, but she won't get embroiled in an affair. That said … there might be some infidelity in the story.
HazMasterFlash – No need to apologize. That said, your review is appreciated.
WishToBeYouSomeday - And here it is, once again!
Chayse-man - Raven doesn't share your goodwill towards Alexa. Maybe she's wrong.
JOHNXgambit – Blackfire was a great villain in the show. I'm surprised they didn't use her more. She sort of vanished after the episode "Betrothed". Heck, I think Control Freak got more screen time than she did.
js12601 – It's going to be hard for Raven to separate her feelings for Mark from those she has for Alexa
Bluedog197 – I borrowed the term "Jiggle her jello" from the show "Futurama". Specifically from the Episode where Bender becomes a woman (Coilette) to cheat in the robot Olympics.
EP – The sparks are beginning to fly.
Hairul The Nightrage Beast - Yup, he crossed over from that defunct story. Still, being intimate with Blackfire, that's like making love with a snake.
Adventuresstime – When inspiration hits I can crank out a chapter in a single afternoon, but it usually takes longer.
DeeThom – I plan on rewriting Carved in Stone, which will be a tale of infidelity, shattered trust and forgiveness. That said, it will be quite different from the original. As for the first one, there wasn't much left to tell. Raven finally becomes faithful and at the very end Grayson finally meets his adult son.
Sweetums14 - It won't be quite as crazy as Carved in Stone, but yeah, there will be some drama along those lines with some heartbreak and tearful reconciliation.
elixxxrAngel – Tension is steadily building up all over the place. Maybe I need to bring Cyborg and Bumblebee into the fray.
TheThoughtsofKarasu - Overall I don't like the new show, it has far too many cliché's for my taste; and I find the characters to be very flat and predictable. But I did think it was funny that Raven was a closet Brony in the first episode.
Shadico – Nightwing was never fully on board with leaving. Grayson can be obsessive when it comes to superhero duty.
Ejammer – LOL! Everyone thinks Mark is a clone.
TJSC25 – Didn't you like bunnies when you were a kid?