"Sparky! Tell me we're ready to go online!"
Bumblebee stared out the window from the T shaped Steele City landmark. A mixed crowd of mercenaries, bounty hunters, police officers and even common criminals had gathered in the esplanade in front of the tower, and all of them were brandishing weapons: rifles, plasma guns and other assorted handheld weapons. They looked eager and some even looked angry.
What appeared to be a modified tugboat pulled up to the Tower's seaside dock and about a dozen men, carrying a battering ram, emerged from it and approached the Tower's main entrance. They had a steely look of determination in their eyes and Bumblebee anxiously watched them approach.
"Almost!" Cyborg shouted back.
A dull and deep thud resonated throughout the Tower.
"The door will hold." He reassured her. "I designed it myself."
A second thud was heard. The main door creaked, but continued to hold.
"Sparky!"
"I'm working as fast as I can … dammit … we should have installed and tested the retractable armor weeks ago."
Speedy came running up the stairs and charged into the common room.
"The door's holding, but if they bring any serious firepower, we're in trouble."
Cyborg's fingers danced across the keyboard. The words: "Diagnostic Failure, Cannot Deploy Shielding" kept flashing.
Come on, you piece of crap … work! … Oh hell … I'm gonna reboot!"
"Whoa, then we'll have to wait 90 seconds before we can try deploying the shielding again." She replied.
"I know, but it ain't working. I installed some new drivers, it should work after the reboot … if I ever get my hands on Slade … I'm gonna kill him! Who does he think he is, offering a bogus bounty on us?"
Bumblebee turned to Speedy. "Get the T-Ship ready to fly. Engines running, flight plan, the works."
"We ain't bugging out!" Cyborg shouted. "Not yet!"
Bumblebee was watching the dock on a TV screen. Another boat pulled up and four men hopped out, carrying a large, high tech looking cannon. They shouted as they pushed their way to the main door, shoving the crowd aside. Bumblebee's face paled when she recognized the weapon.
"Where did they get a BFG-9000? … Sparky! Tell me you're ready to deploy the shielding!"
"Hang on!"
"No! Tell me it's deployed, or we're leaving!"
"We don't have any place to go!" He shouted back.
"We'll find a place!" She screeched as the four men mounted the BFG on a beefy tripod.
Cyborg typed in a command on the keyboard. The words "Deployment in progress" flashed on the screen as the BFG's plasma chamber began to charge. The shielding rolled out, covering the entire building. The four men shouted as they aimed their ominous looking weapon at the door, which had yet to be covered by the scale like armor.
"Shielding deployed." The screen announced in green text just as the BFG-9000 fired. The entire Tower shuddered, but was not breached.
Bumblebee slumped into her chair. "Dammit, Sparky, that was too close for comfort."
"I told you I had everything under control."
She gave him an angry glare, which quickly disappeared and was replaced by a sigh. "So now what do we do?"
"We have six months of rations and supplies. We stay put; this is as safe as any place we could go. We should also send out an all Titans alert to warn them about the bounty. They're welcome to come here, but they probably wouldn't make it past the mob outside."
"So that's it? We just wait?" She complained.
"If we can draw attention here, maybe they won't catch anyone else."
Karen sighed unhappily. "I hope you're right Sparky. I really do."
-( scene break )-
Mother and Daughter clandestinely approached the small moon, the smallest of Tamaran's natural satellites. The dark rock, which had an asteroid like irregular shape, was not even 30 miles in diameter and orbited Tamaran every 8 hours. Luck was on their side as Vega was unusually active and a full blown solar storm was in effect, filling the star system with all sorts of interference, enough that planetary sensors would not have detected their departure via self flight.
The two princesses cautiously approached a metal door, which is where Galfore, years ago when he was her knorfka, told her it would be. She keyed in the code he made her memorize as a child and the door slid open. The station was a secret base, one Galfore had commissioned for her safety, should she ever need to go into hiding or worse, escape from Tamaran. It had never been used before. The door slid shut behind them and the airlock was pressurized. Nightstar took a deep breath of air and exhaled quickly. Her mother knew there was no way she could make it to Earth on her own power … which is why they were here.
"Are you OK?" Her mother asked her.
"I never held my breath so long."
"When you are older, you won't need to breathe, as long as there is a star nearby, you will be able to use the sunlight to perform the carbon release in your skin. But today we shall take a vessel."
Starfire led the child into a hanger, where a stunning looking Sunfire corvette was waiting. Galfore had told her that it was specially modified and could achieve Warp factor 6, which was twice as fast as anything else in the Tamaranian fleet at the time and could still outrun anything in the fleet today, thanks to its Psion designed engines. How he procured them, he never told her, thought it was more than obvious that he pair a dear price for them. The corvette would be able to reach the Sol system in less than a day. She knew that the ship was already loaded with non perishable supplies and it was Xenothium fueled and ready to go.
Starfire sat down in the pilot's seat and began the preflight check, quickly flipping switches. She beckoned her daughter to sit next to her.
"Mommy, are we really going home to find daddy?"
"Yes, we are. And forgive me, my daughter, I never should have agreed to return without him."
Starfire pressed a button on a panel and a huge metal door opened, exposing the previously decompressed hangar to space. She gently pulled back on a lever and the Sunfire lurched forward, leaving the hangar behind. As she deftly guided the corvette the nav computer abruptly announced: "Course laid in for Earth. Ready to engage FTL drives."
"Are you ready, my child?"
The youngster nodded.
"Good, for tonight we shall have pizza for dinner."
Starfire pulled on another the lever and the space around the ship appeared to distort, as the warp field was formed. The ship once again lurched forward and jumped into otherspace.
They were going home.
-( scene break )-
Raven entered the library, carrying a bassinette, where Coraline was happily napping. She walked up to her desk and gently placed the tiny infant bed on the desktop. The gray skinned baby fussed, but did not wake. Raven then noticed the McCall's book was still on her desk. She picked it up as she sat down, and flipped it over. There was a picture of McCall on the rear of the dust jacket. She had a beaming smile on her face. The dust jacket also had the expected "critic review" quotes on it:
"McCall tells it like it is." – Bill Clifton, Swinger Magazine.
"Are open marriages stronger marriages? Barbara McCall makes a compelling case!" Tamara Jones – Playboy Magazine.
There were more dubious endorsements on the cover, which Raven didn't bother to read. Instead, she unceremoniously tossed the book into a dust bin, where it landed with a resounding thud.
"That's no way to treat a book."
Raven turned and saw Matt McCall standing at the Library's entrance.
"It's my library; I decide what goes in it." She replied in her monotone.
Matt retrieved the book from the trashcan, wiping the cover clean with his sleeve. He looked at Raven and smiled. "You think this book is smut, don't you?"
"It makes a case for empty, loveless sex." She calmly replied.
"No, it doesn't."
"Oh please, don't tell me that you actually love every woman you mess around with."
"First of all, I don't "mess around". And yes, I have feelings for every woman I'm with."
"You must have a lot of love to share." She remarked in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You don't how right you are."
"And I suppose that you love me too?"
"I find you very intriguing."
"Because you've never had sex with a gray skinned woman before?"
Matt smiled sardonically. "Now you're just being cynical."
"Am I?"
Matt nodded. "Yes, you are. You've allowed yourself to be blinded by preconceived notions about intimacy."
"Mr. McCall, if you want to be a swinger, be one. But leave me out of it, I'm not interested."
McCall sat down next to her.
"I'm not a swinger; all of my relationships are enduring."
Raven stared at him, but did not reply.
"I heard about your recovery. Nurse Washam said that you're ready to resume sexual relations. I find that to be simply astounding."
"She told you this? When? Medical matters are supposed to be confidential."
"Well, yeah, they are, but there are no secrets in the lab. As for when, last night, her date with Frank didn't go all that well … so I stepped in and helped her experience her own feminine beauty."
"Isn't she a bit old for you? She's at least in her fifties. How old are you? 30? She's old enough to be your mother."
"I'm twenty eight. And no, she isn't too old for me. You see, Raven, I think all women are beautiful."
Raven smirked. "I will give you credit, you're smooth … but you're also full of crap."
"Raven … why do you resist? You know that you won't be seeing him at all for a while, now that you've cast the no-sleep spell on the researchers you'll be lucky to see him at mealtime."
"And you're supposed to be a surrogate for him?"
"Of course not … I'm supposed to be a new experience for you. I'll enrich your life, opening you to perspectives and outlooks you didn't know even existed. You'll learn things about yourself you never expected. When you get back with him you will experience each other in ways you can't even imagine!"
Raven shook her head. "I don't believe this … the world is on the verge of annihilation and all you can think about is getting me into bed and having sex with me."
"Could you think of anything better to do at the end of the world?"
"I can think of plenty of things that would be better choices than having a sleazy fling with you … now take your wife's book and get the Trigon out of here."
McCall shrugged and taking the book he walked away. He stopped at the library's entrance and turned around. "You don't know what you're missing."
"I think I do … I'll pass."
McCall smiled at her. "There are rumors, Raven. Rumors that you are not as repressed as you claim to be."
"I never said I was repressed. As for your rumors, I couldn't care less about them."
He smiled seductively at her. She felt her stomach churn. "There is a rumor that Nightwing is a former lover of yours, and that when Starfire found out she left Earth with her daughter."
"You made that up and you know it."
"Oh, I don't think so. Come on, Raven, you know that you want to taste another man … just admit it to yourself. You know it's true."
Raven glared at him. "I won't ask you again to leave. And if you don't, or if you ever bring this subject up again in my presence I will teach you the true meaning of pain … meaning I'll use my powers … have I made myself clear?"
With a look of resignation he shrugged his shoulders. "As you wish." He replied before leaving the library.
Raven sighed. She knew that he was eventually going to approach her, but she never would have guessed that he would be so brazen. She looked up at the clock on the wall. Starfire wasn't due to arrive for at least eight more hours. And then there was Mark. He was in the daycare at the moment, but after hours she was stuck with the boy, who was still dying to meet his baby sister. And she wouldn't get to see her husband until dinner time, after which he would return to work the entire night.
It was going to be a long day.
-( scene break )-
The modified corvette, which was named "The Glory of X'Hal" crossed Neptune's orbit, still travelling faster than light. They would be ready to drop out of Warp in just a few minutes and insert into a low Earth orbit, at the coordinates Raven gave her. The ship crossed other orbits: Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter, passing close enough to the Jovian gas giant to see it with the naked eye. A few minutes later they crossed Mars' orbit. Next stop: Earth.
Starfire carefully checked her trajectory. The plan was to come out of warp at an angle that would make it appear as if they were attempting to leave Earth, as opposed to arriving. Jordan would allow them to slip past him to complete the deception.
The ship came out of Warp as planned, with a trajectory that looked as if the ship was rising from the planet's surface. Within seconds the ship shuddered and came to a sudden halt, as it became engulfed in an emerald colored energy field. A glowing humanoid figure approached the ship. The Green Lantern was enormous, even bigger than Galfore, and he had a face that vaguely resembled that of the Earthly creature known as the pig.
The Lantern continued to approach the ship and stopped in front of it, hovering with his arms crossed. Starfire recognized him. He was a close friend of Hal Jordan and his name was Kilowog.
"You know better than trying to escape from Earth." He winked as the conversation was carried over a com-link. "At least now everyone knows that the famous Starfire of Tamaran has been on Earth this entire time."
Using his ring of power, Kilowog towed Starfire's ship down to the surface and the landed near an ordinary looking weather station on the outskirts of Metropolis.
"I'm afraid I'll have to confiscate your ship." He announced in a very official voice. "It will be returned to you once the blockade is lifted."
His ring suddenly stopped shimmering.
"Wait here, Raven will come to get you in a few minutes." He looked at his ring and looked back at her. "Good Luck, Princess."
Kilowog's ring shimmered back to life and he took to the sky, towing the Sunfire corvette behind him. Within seconds he had vanished into the night time sky.
Starfire looked around and took in the desolate landscape.
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"Is daddy here?"
Starfire picked her daughter up.
"No, he is not."
A dark portal suddenly opened. Raven's head popped out of the void and an arm did.
"Hurry, before anyone sees us."
The princess took Raven's hand and the two Tamaranians stepped through the portal and found themselves in the Logan's Spartan quarters. Starfire's eyes trembled and she wrapped her arms around her violet haired friend.
"Oh Raven, I feared I would never see you again."
Raven hugged her back. "I was worried too."
Nightstar drifted over to the bassinet and peeked at its contents.
"Baby Coraline is asleep." She whispered.
Starfire released Raven and delicately tiptoed to the bassinet. She broke into a huge smile upon seeing the sleeping infant.
"Raven … she is so beautiful. She looks like you."
"Nuh uh!" Nightstar interrupted. "She has green hair like Uncle Garfield."
The sorceress allowed a small smile to appear on her face. "Thank you, Starfire. And yes, she does have green hair, just like her father."
"Does she have any powers?"
Raven shrugged. "It's too soon to tell. Gar said that he can later test if she can shape shift."
"Can she do magic?" The little princess asked.
"Well, that requires a great deal of mental ability and she's still an infant. I have sensed a magical aura about her, but I can't tell at this point how it will develop. But I'm not concerned about that now."
Starfire nodded. "Yes, we have a world to save."
"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do to help in that regard. It's in Gar's and the other scientists' hands now, I'm afraid … but you need to find your husband."
"I must leave. You will take care of Mar'i for us? If we do not return, promise me …"
"Starfire, you know that would raise her as if she was own. But it won't come to that." Raven placed a hand on Starfire's midsection. "The three of you will return, safe and sound." Starfire placed her hand over Raven's.
"I am not showing yet."
"You will be soon."
"I wish I could heal the way you do."
"I wish everyone could."
Starfire looked troubled. "Do we have any idea of where he is?"
"Just that he isn't in Africa anymore. All I can assume is that they are being returned to the USA. I have no idea of where. Batman will notify us if they are delivered to Gotham."
"Cyborg will do the same?"
"If they're delivered to Titans East Tower? I don't know, I haven't been able to reach the Tower via regular communication lines and my Titans communicator doesn't work down here underground. Do you still have yours?"
"No, it was taken from me by the Brotherhood of Evil."
"Take mine, and try to reach Cyborg. Maybe he knows where Richard is."
The princess, who was attired in her full bodied, armored suit, took the communicator and tucked it in her belt.
"It is time for me to go."
Raven conjured a portal. "This will take you to the outskirts of Steele City. Be careful, Starfire, we have been hearing rumors that the general population is becoming unfriendly to superheroes, especially former Titans."
Starfire picked up her daughter and hugged her. "I will return with your father."
The child began to weep. "That's what you and daddy said last time, but you didn't come back."
"They did come back, they were just a bit late, that's all." Raven consoled the child. "And I need you to help me take care of Coraline, plus there's someone else I need you to help me with."
Raven closed the portal. "Starfire, you need to see this too."
She led them into their bedroom, where Mark was also sleeping. Starfire became wide eyed.
"Is this …"
"Yes, this is Mark Logan, Gar's illegitimate child with Alexa Pontone."
Starfire heaved a weary sigh. "I had only heard about the child … but to see him … he looks like his father. And you are caring for him?"
"I know, who would have thought I would get stuck doing this?"
"You do not hate the child?"
"I severely dislike his mother, but not the boy. He is so much like Gar … how could I hate him?"
"Yes, I understand." She turned to her daughter. "Mar'i, you will stay with your Aunt Raven and help with the children until we return. This is an important job for you. I can count on you to do this … yes?"
Mar'i nodded, while a stray tear dripped down her cheek. "Yes, Mommy, I'll be good and help."
Starfire gave her daughter a fierce hug. "You are very brave, my child. Someday you will be a great warrior."
Starfire released her daughter and nodded at Raven, who once again summoned the portal. The two friends shared a hug. "Go find him, Starfire. We'll be here waiting."
Without looking back the Princess stepped into the portal and vanished.
-( scene break )-
The Osprey jet took off from the British aircraft carrier, ferrying its two passengers to their final destination.
"Captain! What's our ETA?" Batgirl shouted.
"We'll have you on the rooftop of Titans Tower in Steele City in 40 minutes, ma'am." The pilot replied.
Nightwing didn't seem to be present and his mind began to wander. He was feeling helpless, which was a feeling he wasn't accustomed to experiencing. The plague was careening out of control, meaning that there were only weeks left before everyone would start dying which would be followed by the Earth being cast into the Sun. Stopping the spread of the deadly virus was beyond his abilities as a superhero and he was feel emasculated and useless.
He and Babs were seated behind the aircraft's pilots and they could see the bright blue sky outside through the canopy. The clouds below them were bright and puffy, as if they were unaware of the terrible fate that awaited them. Grayson sighed.
"You OK?" Babs asked him.
"At least they're safe." He whispered to her.
"Yeah, you did the right thing. I know it must have been the toughest decision you ever made."
"I know, and I miss them … I feel so alone."
Babs took his hand and squeezed it. "You aren't alone … I'm here."
The jet continued to fly and they sat together in silence, hand in hand. After about thirty minutes they could see the shoreline in the distance and Dick was able to discern the Tower's outline. He squeezed her hand and she turned towards him.
"Babs … I just want to tell you I'm sorry."
"You don't have to; I forgave you for leaving a long time ago."
"I know you, but I'm still sorry."
"Don't be, you married a great girl, heck even though I lost you to her, I think the world of Starfire. She's one awesome lady."
"We both know I'll never see her again. In three weeks, we're all going to be dead."
"Three weeks … it isn't a lot of time."
"It's not … Babs … I'd like to make it up to you."
"What do you mean?"
"Babs, do you think it would be wrong for us to pick up where we left off?"
Barbara locked eyes with him. "Under normal circumstances I would say that it would be both wonderful and terrible to do that."
"Yeah, I agree, but these aren't normal circumstances, are they?"
She dropped her head, her chin resting on her chest.
"No, they certainly aren't."
"So, what you think?" He asked her.
"Dick … do you believe in the afterlife?"
He stared at the approaching coastline. "Yeah, I guess I do."
"Will you be OK, facing her there? What would you tell her? I mean, I expect that she would know."
He frowned as he processed the scenario.
"I'd like to think that she would understand. Do you think I'm crazy?"
"I don't know her that well to say. … You know, maybe this is it. Once we die, we're gone. End of story. We don't have to give an account of our actions to anyone … except ourselves. Would you be OK with that? Would you be able to die in peace knowing that you cheated on her?"
"It wouldn't be a cheat … you were my first girl."
"And you promised her to forsake all others when you married her."
"Actually … I didn't. We didn't have a Church wedding. Star insists that serves no god or goddess other than X'hal. We had a simple civil ceremony. There were no vows exchanged, we just agreed to be married."
"The vow is implied, and you know it."
"So, you're saying that you're not interested?" He asked.
"I never said that. Dick, when you left for Jump, I was heartbroken. I know that we were just teenagers, but I was really in love with you."
"You were? I mean, you really were?"
"Yeah, and I still am. Do you really think I'm not interested in picking up where we left off?"
"I just wanted to be sure, you know, before moving forward."
"Dick, if we do this … we're compromising ourselves. There are no ifs or buts about it. This is a decision to not take or make lightly. It might only be three weeks, but it will redefine who we are and what we stand for … are you willing to do that? Because if you are … then so am I."
"Babs …"
The Osprey was approaching the Tower roof. It slowed to a hover, preparing to land. The pilot spoke into his headset and a portion of the rooftop armor retracted, exposing the landing bay.
"Now I'm not so sure anymore. On second thought, forget I said anything." He remarked in a monotone
The jet descended into the landing bay and landed next to the blue T-Ship. The bay doors above slid shut, and the armor deployed, making its clickety clack sound as it covered the roof.
Babs smiled as she pointed out of the cockpit. "Good choice, Bird Boy … consider it forgotten."
Grayson's eyes almost popped out of his head. Cyborg and Bumblebee had come to the hangar to greet them. And standing next to them was … Starfire, who smiled before flying up to the just opened hatch, zooming inside the aircraft. She leaped on her husband, wrapping her arms and legs around him.
"Star? What are you doing here?"
Babs smiled as she exited the plane. Cyborg extended a hand to her and the shook.
"Well hello, little lady, I don't believe we've ever met." He greeted her.
"I'm Batgirl … but you can call me Babs."
-( scene break )-
So, should Raven have broken Matt's legs or something?
And the reviews, they continue to amaze and astound me. Thanks! We should be blowing past the 900 review mark. Thanks!
And, I'm skipping the mail bag today, so I can post this extra pronto!