Disclaimer: Property of DC

Rating: T for language

Beta Reader: Naveena

Edited: 03/08/22

Gotham Holiday: A White Door

Chapter Four: Curiosity

Cyborg, Starfire, and Herald brought Flash and Wonder Woman to the Watchtower's medical hall. Floor-to-ceiling windows ringed the large, circular room, offering a generous view of outer space. Several sleek, padded beds filled the room, each accompanied by a set of monitors and cabinet full of supplies and tools needed to help the wounded.

"Thank goodness," Mr. Terrific said as he turned from Kid Flash, who sat with his legs dangling from one of the padded beds.

Green Lantern lay beaten and unconscious on another one. A soft green light emitted from his ring.

Kid Flash smiled in relief at the sight of his friends and uncle safe. "Glad you guys made it back."

His smile slipped as a wave of nausea seemed to hit him. Kid Flash pulled a sour face. He picked at the small, triangular metal device embedded in his neck. "I think this thing is making me sick."

"Quit touching it," Mr. Terrific admonished. "I'm sure with Cyborg's help, we'll have it off you in no time. For now, leave it alone and relax."

"Easy for you to say." Kid Flash pushed off the bed and ran a circle around the medical hall. As he ran, Kid Flash flickered in and out of view like a character in an old stop-action film. The others watched him with startled eyes as he finished the lap and hopped back onto the bed.

"Okay," Flash said, "that was super creepy. Don't do that again."

Cyborg agreed. "For real, man. You looked like that Japanese ghost girl that comes out the TV."

Kid Flash tapped his chin. "Well, Jinx would like that at least."

Mr. Terrific motioned for the others to follow. "Come on. Let's move this to a conference room."

Giving Kid Flash a pointed look, he added, "You stay here. And stay put. Moving around might not be such a good idea."

Kid Flash crossed his arms. "Okay, okay… Just keep me filled me in. Half my friends are missing now, too, you know."

Mr. Terrific, Flash, and Wonder Woman led Starfire, Cyborg, and Herald up one of the Watchtower's long, curved halls. As they walked, Cyborg stole a glance at Starfire. She walked alongside him with heavy footsteps. Her grief-stricken face was stained with blood and dirt. Inside the conference room, Cyborg took a seat beside her at a long, oval table. The room itself was small and contained little else.

Once all the heroes had gathered around the table, Cyborg focused on Herald. "Man, I'm not trying to blame you or anything, but where were you? What took you so long?"

"That Kanto guy kept catching me," Herald explained. "Every time I popped in on Tamaran, he'd put me on pause. I couldn't move. He made me see things. ...Really bad things."

Wonder Woman's blue eyes regarded Herald with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "How'd you escape him each time?"

"I didn't," Herald admitted. "He told me who I could rescue and let me go. He made it real clear he'd kill anyone I took without permission. Even that last time, when we came back for you two," he said to Wonder Woman and Flash, "I only did it because he said I could if I wanted. I'm sorry."

Herald looked down at the table with shame. "I didn't even try to get the others."

Flash, who was seated beside Herald, placed a comforting hand on his back. "Hey, you totally did the right thing, okay? That guy didn't strike me as the bluffin' type. But are you saying that he let us escape? Us specifically? Why?"

Herald shrugged. "Don't ask me. That guy's something else. Something I don't ever want to see again."

"That's a child's wishful thinking," Wonder Woman gently chided. "Like it or not, Kanto and his army has already conquered dozens of other worlds in our sector. He knows about Earth, and he will come here to conquer, too."

Cyborg gave a bitter scoff. "Yeah, he'll try. His powers are ridiculous, but Earth's full of ridiculous people, too. Maybe that's why he hasn't shown up yet."

Mr. Terrific moved from his chair to stand at the room's observation window. Below was a stunning view of the Earth. "Everyone, even this Kanto, has their Kryptonite." Looking back at the table, he gave the other heroes a frown. "Don't they?"

"Doesn't seem fair otherwise," Flash muttered.

Starfire spoke quietly. "Kanto claimed to be a god."

Wonder Woman considered this and nodded. "He is indeed godlike, which might work in our favor. I've known and fought many gods. Their biggest weakness is always their own inability to see themselves as vulnerable. Although with Kanto, it's obvious we need more than physical might to be victorious."

Flash crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, we need about ten J'onn's, and we're minus one."

Cyborg said, "Maybe we should hit up old Lex Luthor again. He's the one that handed over Superman to Kanto in the first place. We squeezed him for info with Batman, but not much. We were in a hurry."

Wonder Woman touched the Lasso of Truth hanging on her hip. "I'll pay Luthor a visit. With this, he'll tell me everything he knows."

Starfire turned to Wonder Woman. "Perhaps you could also use your magic rope to ask him about Robin? About where Slade is hiding him..."

"And Al," Cyborg added.

Wonder Woman stood to leave, her gaze not without empathy as she met the younger heroes' eyes. "We received word about that. I'll see what he knows, but our priority has to be on the situation at hand."

Cyborg suppressed a sigh. "We understand."

To Mr. Terrific, Starfire asked, "Where are the survivors of Tamaran?"

"I sent them to the cafeteria," he answered. "The kids looked hungry. The adult with them, I think her name was Tarya, agreed it was a good idea."

Starfire rose from her chair. "I should check on them."

Wonder Woman touched Starfire's arm. "Your people are welcome to stay here as long as they need. There's plenty of room."

Starfire dipped her head in gratitude. Her gaze then traveled across the assembled heroes. "Thank you all for coming to Tamaran's aid. Because of you, we have survived."

Mr. Terrific offered her a smile that tried to hide his pity. "Don't give up hope, Princess. It's possible there are more survivors out there, and I promise you we'll do everything we can to save them if that's the case. Cyborg, come with me. I want to see everything you managed to record. You can help me start contacting Earth's heroes, too. Everyone needs a head's up. The world's governments, too."

"What about our friends?" Cyborg asked.

"We need more information before we can launch anything close to a rescue," Mr. Terrific told him. "From what I've heard, we're talking about beings who possess some kind of wormhole technology. There's no telling where they took Batman and the others."

"I could go back to Tamaran and look for clues," Herald offered.

"Not yet," Wonder Woman said. "Let us find out what we can from a position of safety first."

Cyborg shook his head. "I don't think a position like that even exists. Kanto and his buddies could just pop into our atmosphere whenever he feels like it, right?"

Wonder Woman turned to leave the conference room. "Then let us waste no more time."

After seeing to her people, Starfire returned to the conference room, finding it dark and vacant. She sat on the floor beside the observation window's thick glass. Her body ached from battle, but the pain was nothing compared to the raw emptiness taking up residence in her chest. Clenching her teeth and fists, she wrapped her arms around her drawn knees and buried her face against them. She felt as if her grief for the loss of Tamaran and the countless stolen lives, as well as her failure to prevent any of it, might crush her from all sides.

"Star?" Cyborg asked hesitantly from behind.

Starfire lifted her head and kept her eyes trained on the dark sea beyond the glass.

Somewhere amongst the stars were her friends and perhaps more of her people.

And the person she needed most by her side.

Cyborg and Herald joined Starfire on the floor, sitting on either side of her.

"I don't know how to ask," Cyborg said quietly, "so I'll just do the best I can. …Are you okay?"

Starfire faced him with wet eyes. "I have been in many battles, Cyborg. Many that were quite brutal. And yet, I have never seen such carnage or destruction… and to see it befall my own people. No, I am not okay. I feel as if everything good is being taken away, piece by piece, and soon there will be nothing."

Herald picked at the hem of his dark cloak. "So… are you giving up?"

Starfire shook her head as if disgusted by the thought.

"Never," she swore, the sadness in her eyes hardening with anger and determination. "I will destroy Kanto for his crimes against Tamaran. And I will destroy Slade, too."

"That's our girl." Cyborg got back to his feet and offered her a hand. "Come on, we need to get you patched up. We gotta be ready when the League comes up with a plan to get our friends back."

Far from Earth, Beast Boy found himself on a different planet along with Batman, J'onn, and Raven. From what he'd seen of the planet, the whole place seemed to be made of stone and fire. All four heroes had been shoved into a tiny cell made of black stone. Its wall slanted towards a dull, orange light embedded in the ceiling. The cell's entrance was barricaded by dozens of crisscrossing, purple energy beams.

For the longest time, only Beast Boy was conscious. Then, to his immense relief, Batman groaned and pushed himself up from the floor.

J'onn awoke, too, his hand going to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Batman's eyes swept the cell and his allies before he got to his feet. "We're not in Kansas anymore."

J'onn stood, too, and moved to run his fingers along the smooth surface of the stone walls. "I believe Kanto called this world Apokolips."

Beast Boy scoffed. He scratched at the itchy metal object stuck in his neck. "What a cheesy comic book name. I bet their leader is some guy in a black cloak named Lord Death Star or Emperor Overlord."

J'onn examined the energy barrier. He almost touched it but decided not to. "Close. When Kanto peered into my mind, I saw a few glimpses of his own. His master is one called Darkseid."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes dramatically. "Great. Sounds like another Ruler of the Universe Wannabe. Wonder if he's friends with Trigon?"

"Is she hurt?" Batman gestured at Raven.

Beast Boy's eyes became worried as they fell on her. "I think so. She hasn't moved."

"Her mind probably seeks to repair itself," J'onn explained. "She'll be fine."

Relieved, Beast Boy tried to push down the fear he felt thrumming around in his chest. "So, what's the plan for getting out of here?"

Without answering, Batman checked out the cell's entrance, too, but wasn't able to determine a power source for the energy barrier.

Beast Boy watched the two older heroes search for a way out. "They um... They used these little remote thingies to open up the portals that got us here. If we steal one, we can get home. Right?"

"Yes," J'onn agreed, "but there are others besides us trapped here. People stolen from many worlds. Hundreds of them. I saw them in Kanto's thoughts."

Batman's frown deepened. "What about Superman? Is there a way to save him?"

J'onn shook his head. "I saw nothing about him, but I did learn that there's only one way off this planet—the devices Beast Boy described. They're called Mother Boxes. When the opportunity arrives, we must locate one and use its technology to escape this place. There's no other path back to our dimension."

Beast Boy pulled at the metal object in his neck. It didn't budge. "What about these things? It's blocking my powers just like the stupid Limiter did. I can't transform."

"It's suppressing my powers as well," J'onn said. He tilted his head as Batman reached to examine the one embedded in his neck.

Batman didn't like how the metal seemed fused with J'onn's skin. "It might have to stay until we get home. There's no telling what could happen if I try to force it out."

"He'd drop dead." Blackfire watched them from the other side of the cell's barrier.

Beast Boy scrambled to his feet, adopting a defensive pose with the other two heroes.

Four parademons flanked Blackfire.

"Want to see what else they can do?" she asked, smirking. Blackfire held up a device that reminded Beast Boy of a tiny TV remote. She pressed a command.

Beast Boy's hands flew to protect his ears. He saw Batman and J'onn doing the same. Cascading, shrieking noise drove needles into their brains, sending all three heroes to their knees. The cell's barrier dropped and the parademons dragged J'onn and Batman from the cell. The barrier reappeared.

Through the pain, Beast Boy reached for them. "No! Wait!"

Batman struggled to get free of the parademons holding his arms. "Beast Boy, don't give up! Find a way home!"

Beast Boy crawled to the cell's door. The horrible pain vanished, but his ears echoed raw from it. He looked up to see only Blackfire watching him. She gave Beast Boy a mean grin before glancing at Raven.

Beast Boy felt panic rising in his chest again. He glared to hide his fear. "You're not taking her!"

Blackfire's grin shrank into a smile. "Not yet."

She turned on her heel and strode away.

Beast Boy found himself alone with Raven.

I promise... I promise I won't let anything happen to you... but please, wake up soon.

In another dimension, deep in the Temple of Azar, Robin awoke with a gasp.

He sat up in bed, startled by the room before remembering where he was. As he carded a hand through his hair, his mind tried to gather the pieces of his nightmare.

Alfred heard his gasp and sat up, too. The room was lit by a thick, white candle perched between their two narrow beds. Its light flickered against Alfred's concerned face. "Are you all right, Sir?"

Robin nodded. "Yeah. It was just a dumb dream. Something about a monster being in the Batcave. It was holding me down and… and Raven was there. It stabbed its hand right through my face."

Robin's fingers traced over his nose and cheekbones.

Alfred sighed quietly. "I'm sure with all you've been through lately, a few nightmares can't be avoided. That said, perhaps talking about your experiences would be a better option than letting your mind work through such trauma on its own."

Robin's memories treaded towards the Joker, to morgue drawers, to beatings in the dark, but he suppressed these thoughts immediately. "I'll be alright, Alfred. Don't worry."

Needing to change the subject fast, Robin added, "Thea showed me a library that's hidden under this temple. Its entrance is something straight out of Indiana Jones. It's a staircase inside a coffin. You think it might be the reason Slade brought us here?"

"Perhaps. Whatever his plan is, he obviously feels confident enough to leave us both unattended in a temple full of potential allies. I have to admit, I don't find it encouraging."

Robin watched the candle's little flame. "There has to be a reason why he didn't take us to Amparo. He either needs something from here, or he's come up with another test. Whatever he's up to, I'm pretty sure Thea would help us. I thought about just telling her the truth, but I'm not ready to risk him switching on the nanoscopic probes."

Robin's brow furrowed. "There's something else I wanted to tell you. There's a painting of Raven in the library, or maybe it was the room next to the library…"

Robin shook his head, his thoughts fuzzy. "It was a prophecy about her defeating Trigon."

"If Slade is testing you," Alfred mused, "then this temple's connection to Raven cannot be a coincidence. I must also point out, Sir, that in the past, his tests have been fair, if cruel. If that pattern holds, then there's a way to survive this test, too. We only have to find it."

Robin agreed. Concentrating, he realized Slade wasn't that far from their room. "I wonder what he's doing."

"Finding something to threaten or loom over, no doubt," Alfred said with a yawn. He'd felt so refreshed back in the forest, when an Azarian had healed him. Now Alfred felt every bit his age. "Perhaps you should rest while you can, Sir."

Robin couldn't deny how tired he was. He'd been freezing, but the bed's thick blanket had done a fair enough job of warming him up. The bed's wooden frame creaked as he laid back on its thin mattress. "You're right."

He listened as Alfred settled back, too.

Several minutes passed.

Robin's brain made no effort rest.

His body felt tired, but his thoughts raced.

They bounced from trying to recall the nightmare, to the Joker, to Harley broken and crumpled on the floor, to the Iceberg Lounge's burning atrium, to Scarecrow's fear gauntlet twitching above his face. His thoughts swirled around until they centered on a dark figure cutting across the starry sky, grappling to safety. In his mind, Robin followed him.

"Alfred," Robin rolled on his side to see if the butler was awake, "I've been wondering about something."

Alfred's dark eyes opened and watched him in the candlelight.

Robin propped himself up on an elbow. "Do you know why Bruce never… Is there a reason why he's never adopted me?"

Alfred considered a moment, looking up at a crack that spanned the ceiling of their little room. With a silent, if deep breath, he pushed himself back up so that he could better face the young hero watching him behind masked eyes. "I suppose such a decision was made out of respect for the Grayson's. They had already raised you to be such a brave, kind boy. Perhaps Master Bruce didn't wish to appear as if he meant to replace them."

Robin shifted his stare to the floor. "No matter what Slade thinks, Alfred, they're my parents. Even though they're gone, I don't need him. I already have all the family I need. I wish he'd just crawl back under whatever bed he escaped from and disappear."

Robin glanced at Alfred. "I mean, part of me is grateful he saved me from Hijack and the Joker and whatever, but the smarter part of me knows everything he does is always for his own benefit. Even if he thinks he does, I doubt he really cares about me."

"You may be right, Sir," Alfred said. "It's a cliché but useful adage—actions will always speak truer than words."

Robin brooded.

Alfred waited.

Robin said, "If Bruce did want to formally adopt me, I wouldn't have to legally change my last name, right?"

Alfred smiled even though Robin kept studying the rather unremarkable floor. "Of course not, Sir."

Later, as Robin slept again, Alfred cautiously left the room, closing the door without a sound behind him. He'd only made it a few feet up the hall before noticing Slade.

"It isn't wise to wander in a place like this," Slade said a low voice. "Especially alone."

Slade was leaned against a shadowy corner in the stone walls. The torchlight glinted off the handle of the sword on his back. His arms were crossed.

Alfred gave him a professional smile. "You seem to be carrying on just fine."

"There's a saying about curiosity and cats."

"Ah, but I'm a butler," Alfred replied. "If I only had nine lives, I'd already be dead."

"Leave that room again and you'll be testing that theory. Go back. Stay with Robin."

Alfred wanted to ask what made one room safe compared to any other part of the temple but perceived the man's waning patience. With a tilt of his head, Alfred agreed and returned to the little room.

Hours later, Alfred awoke to the sound of someone crying in the hallway.

He glanced at Robin, finding him deeply asleep.

Alfred moved to the door, opening it just enough to peer into the torchlit hall.

He half-expected to hear Slade snap at him but heard only quiet sobbing. Alfred slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

There, by the opposite wall, was a painfully thin woman. She sat on her knees, hunched over with her clasped hands pressed hard against her stomach. The young woman rocked slowly as she wept. Seeing her in such a miserable state, Alfred couldn't stop himself from kneeling alongside her. He placed one gentle hand on her arm and the other on her shoulder.

"Are you all right, my dear?" Alfred looked her over. There were no visible injuries.

He tried to meet her gaze, but her face was hidden by long, sandy hair.

"Are you hurt?"

She mumbled words he couldn't understand. Her white robes hung from her gaunt body.

Footsteps approached.

Thea strode towards them.

Alfred's relief at Thea's appearance faded quickly as he noted the open disapproval on her face.

The woman he sought to comfort stopped crying and rocking. He could feel her trembling beneath his palms. She dropped both hands to her lap and gripped her white robes tightly.

Thea said something to the woman in her own language.

Her tone struck Alfred as harsh.

Without replying, the woman got quickly to her feet, pushing Alfred away when he tried to assist her. She left him standing in confusion as she scurried off.

Thea's eyes followed until the woman was gone from the hall, then her gaze switched to Alfred.

"Why did you leave your room?" Thea asked.

Alfred kept his tone polite. "Am I not allowed to leave, Ms. Thea?"

Her frown melted into an easy smile. "Of course. I didn't mean to imply you're a prisoner."

She sighed. "Though in many ways, the temple has become a prison. I warned the others here, those of my kind, to leave your family alone. That woman's a troublemaker here. She didn't knock on your door, did she?"

Alfred shook his head. "I heard her crying and chose to investigate. She seems to be in great pain."

"Your pity is wasted on such a coward." Seeing Alfred's confusion, Thea added, "She knows she's dying, but rather than share her energy to reinforce the shield protecting us all, she's chosen a selfish death—to continue starving until her demise. She's fortunate I haven't cast her outside the temple grounds. I'm sorry she tried to manipulate you into feeling sorry for her. She probably wanted to talk you into stealing food from my garden to give her. I know my words probably seem unfair to an outsider, but you cannot fathom how much energy it requires to keep the temple safe. I cannot force her to do what is best for the majority, but I will not reward her selfishness either."

"Ms. Thea, seeing as there is a plan in motion to escape, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to ease the restrictions on food you've been forced to maintain. Or, if it helps, I'll gladly share with the young lady whatever portion you've set aside for me. I don't believe I could stand to eat knowing she or anyone else in your care is suffering something so horrible as starvation."

"That is very kind of you," Thea said, but Alfred caught a brief flash of anger in her eyes.

She took a step towards him, her left hand drifting up.

Alfred took a step back. A chill ran across his shoulders.

"There is another way you could help," Thea told him.

"I'll be happy to," Alfred assured her. "Once Robin's up and about. For now, I think you're right. I should get some rest. Thank you again for hosting us, Ms. Thea."

Thea smiled again, bowing her head as her hand stopped reaching for him, instead moving to tuck a strand of her dark hair behind an ear. "Sleep well."

Alfred gave her a polite nod and turned away.

Before he escaped back into the room, he swore he felt her eyes burning into his back.