Welcome, freaks all, to the fourth chapter of Gotham at Daybreak!
So, yeah, I'm utterly sorry for the disgusting amount of time it took me to get this chapter out. But it's here now, and I do hope you'll enjoy it because it cost me an unnatural amount of effort to write. That's my tears, sweat and blood down there! Well, not quite, but it did cost me dearly-good thing I enjoyed every second of it.
Anyway, as usual, there's a warning for lime-scent, though it's even lower that the usual amount-so practically nonexistent, then. The chapter's a very respectable 6000+ word in here, not counting my Red Notes, so it is on the longish side-by my standards, at least.
Thank you, all the lovely people who not only took the time to review but left lovely, encouraging, insightful messages! (All of you, then!) Were it not for those, this chapter would probably had taken me 'til May to finish.
Lastly, I do not own them-and I do wish I did, though. It'd be all kinds of fun.
"I guess that's it then." Cyborg sighed, closing the fuse box and looking up at Wonder Girl. "I should be heading back."
"Thanks. The lights on and off were giving me a headache." She offered Cyborg a hand and pulled him into a standing position. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she said, "You sure you won't stay overnight? It's getting late."
"Nah, that's okay."
"You could be out first thing in the morning-what's the use in driving at night, tired?"
"I'm not."
"You're not driving back?" He'd meant he wasn't tired, but once she said it, he couldn't lie-especially since she'd long guessed the truth.
"No; I'm crashing at Bumble Bee's for the night." The wall behind her was suddenly terribly interesting.
"Really?" Wonder Girl's voice suddenly took the heightened tone that girls often employ for gossiping. "How are things between the two of you?"
"Yeah, um, we're great, we're cool." He answered uncomfortably.
"C'mon, Cy, you can talk to me. Let's share!" she added in her best kinder garden voice.
"Not much to share, really. We're good, I lov-I like her a lot." Any other time, he'd say love-and his companion knew it. She frowned slightly, and stared at Cyborg with inquisitive blue eyes. No doubt the absence of his usual confidence, too, tipped her off that something was wrong.
"What's the matter, Cyborg?" She put a hand on his metallic shoulder. "Problems in Paradise?" He wished she'd stop pressing; his secret was pounding, bursting to be free, ricocheting at an opportunity like this. I'm marrying her. I'm going to give up being Cyborg. How easy! And it was Wonder Girl, after all, Donna-he could talk to her. She'd keep quiet. She might even have some advice for him on how to break the news to his friends; after all, she'd known Robin and Star for years. He opened his mouth-and stopped, as Beast Boy's face appeared in his head, followed by Raven's, Star's, and Robin's. How would they feel if they ever found out that they hadn't been the first to know? Or worse, what if they learned of his decision from someone other than him? They would hate him forever-or at the very least, be very very upset.
He owed it to them to keep quiet. They had to be the first to know, no matter how much the secret burned inside him. Blinking, he cleared his head and turned to look at Wonder Girl directly.
"No, no problems-well, actually, I'm scared shitless. I can't remember if our anniversary's Wednesday or next Saturday…and Bee's really touchy about stuff like that so…"he drifted off, watching in relief as a satisfied smile crossed his friend's lips.
"Tell you what-I'll call Bumble Bee and find out for you, 'kay?" He broke into what he hoped was a grateful grin. "She'll never know."
"Thanks, Donna, you saved my ass."
"That's my job, Cy. Or was the golden bird on my chest not clear enough?" She chuckled good-naturedly. "Go, Bumble Bee's waiting for you. You guys will be back the day after tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah—me, BB, and Star, at least. Rob will probably need to stay for awhile still, and since Rae's baby-sitting him…"
"Raven?" Wonder Girl frowned, clearly interested. "Why not Star?"
"Rob and her…they're not as close as they used to be." He answered with difficulty, weighing his words carefully.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I don't know what's up. But I'm worried-for all three of them. There's enough drama around already." More than you know.
"You think he'll be okay?" she asked, meaning Robin. They'd talked about this before, and Cyborg gave her the same answer.
"I don't know, Donna. I mean, he's been taking it pretty well…too well for my peace of mind. I know there's something he's not telling us; though, in all honesty, I haven't really had the chance to talk to him straight. But I will. Besides, Rob's a strong bird-I'm sure he'll get through this."
"I hope you're right." They stood in silence for awhile, each one lost in thought. Then, Wonder Girl urged, "You should go, Cy. Bumble Bee might not wait up…" she gave him a warm smile, and he left.
The Bat Cave was everything Beast Boy had expected it to be, appearance-wise. It was dark and dank, huge. The long tunnel of stairs went deceptively deep into the ground, allowing for an impressively high roof of stalagmites, on which clung thousands of, expectedly, bats. The main chamber had an enormous computer with 9 separate screens and too many blinking buttons. A single chair was in front of it. Another control panel lay across the chamber, but that was it. Huh? Where's the Batmobile? And how come there were no training simulators or something like that-the way Robin monopolized the Tower's gym and simulators, you'd guess there'd be some pretty dangerous ones in here.
"Beast Boy! Stop, you moron." Raven called as she and Starfire left the stairs.
"Are you certain our presence here will not be unwelcome to Friend Robin?" Starfire asked, unsure but clearly amazed by the enormousness of the hide out. She knew better than anyone how protective Robin was of his past and it seemed only logical that his paranoia would worsen at a time like this. Although, she reflected, a lot of secrets had been unmade in space of a few days-what was one more?
"Dude—I mean, Star, why would he be mad? It's not like we'll trash the place or anything…I just wanna look around for a bit. Please?" He batted his eyelashes innocently, managing to look surprisingly cute even before transforming into a green puppy. Starfire giggled, and Raven rolled her eyes. "Besides, Rob doesn't have to know." Beast Boy added dazedly, changing back.
"I apologize, but I would not enjoy deceiving a friend." Starfire was incapable of outright lying; in Tamaran, deception was unheard of.
"You won't have to." Raven told her point-blank. "We're leaving."
"C'mon Rae, don't be that way. Look, I promise it'll be quick. Just one tiny run-um, stroll around the cave." He begged, going on his knees before her. She turned her face. Standing up, he turned to Starfire, addressing them both. "Come on; don't tell me you aren't the least bit curious…" In spite of herself, Raven turned back at him, thinking it over. Truthfully, she was itching to explore every corner the cave had to offer. She wasn't naïve enough to think that Robin wouldn't find out-but perhaps he wouldn't be too upset. After all, these were his friends; he might have intimacy issues, but he wasn't about to get angry over his friends wanting to know him better. Perhaps he wouldn't have brought them here, but he was certainly not going to throw them out. At least, she hoped not. It was hard to tell Robin's mind, these days. And he4 really was awfully secretive about stuff like this.
"I admit, Friends, that I greatly desire to further examine this most intriguing cave of bats..." Starfire volunteered, and Raven gave up.
"Fine." She snapped. "Just don't break anything." Star and Beast Boy donned twin bright smiles. Raven feared they might hug her. "And be quick about it." They did anyways, before splitting up and beginning their very thorough exploration of the Bat Cave. One of them must have hit a switch because, suddenly, blue spotlights flashed throughout the cave, the brightest lighting up a platform in the cave's lower level. The three friends stood mesmerized against the railing, staring at the Batmobile.
"What a glorious vehicle…"Star breathed, her eyes wide. Beside her, a speechless Raven nodded. Cool, dark, low, and twisted-ly weird-totally Gotham from the bumper to the inlays of the wheels.
"I wonder if Robin's ever driven it..." Beast Boy's voice was soaked in muted awe.
"Master Dick has never had the opportunity. Master Bruce was very protective of the Batmobile, and I'm afraid young Master Dick never exhibited the appropriated restraint when it came to speed." The three Titans turned around and found the Wayne butler, Alfred Pennyworth, dressed impeccably in a crisp black suit. His face was a curious thing; wrinkled enough to betray his years yet unexplainably ageless.
"You are Alfred, are you not?" Starfire asked, blinking cutely. Robin had once mentioned him as his caretaker, and she'd been curious to meet him. Beside her, Beast Boy laughed silently-Master Dick! Raven elbowed him in the gut, promptly shutting him up.
"I certainly am, Madame. And you, young lady, must be Starfire. The gentleman is without a doubt Beast Boy, and you, miss," he added, turning to Raven, "must then be Raven. Master Dick speaks very highly of all of you." Without giving them a chance to answer, the ancient butler continued. "I'm afraid, however, that he wouldn't take too kindly to your presence in this particular wing of the manor; both Master Bruce and him were highly protective of it. Furthermore, it's suppertime; I urge to accompany me to the dinning room, were a succulent dinner of cold cucumber soup has already been prepared." At their lightly concealed revolted faces, Alfred added, "Of course, if the young master and mistresses would rather pizza, I'm quite certain that arrangements can be made…" The butler trailed off, distracted by the noise of a motor engine approaching. "Oh, dear..." he whispered. The other Titans were already leaning back into the railing, squinting to catch a better view of the fast approaching—but so far, unsighted-vehicle.
To their amazement, the platform holding the Batmobile began to lower, while a new one swished into place from the side. Simultaneously, they saw the unmistakable glare of headlights approaching through a previously undetected tunnel. Suddenly, a red motorcycle roared into view; Robin drove it while Batgirl clung to his back. The impressive machine slowed to a stop right in the middle of the new platform.
Raven stared mesmerized, as Robin coolly removed his helmet and ran a hand through his black black hair before climbing off the bike in one slow, sensual motion that made her shiver. She shook her head, silently wondering when had she become the drooling, wide-eyed type. But he looked wasted-she reflected-hollow. She frowned.
Beside her, Best Boy observed no such quiet.
"Dude! Sweet ride-it's not the R-Cycle, though?" Instantly, the Dark Knight's children looked up. Something between a frown and a sigh crossed the Boy Wonder's face, and he said something to Batgirl. She nodded, and they both trudged up the stairs to the main level.
"That's the Redbird," Robin spoke fondly, if a little sadly, "my Gotham ride." He was quite for a moment. Then, "What are you guys doing here? Did Alfred bring you?" He glanced meaningfully at the man, who remained impassive.
"Nah," Beast Boy answered, "we came in through the closet, man. Cool hiding place, by the way."
"Did it ever occur to you that it's a hidden stairway for a reason?" Batgirl questioned the green man icily.
"Chill, dude-um, Batgilrl! We only wanted to check this place out." The changeling answered, putting his hands up as if in protection. Raven sighed; Robin remained uncharacteristically quiet.
"We apologize, Friend Batgirl, if our hunting of treasure resulted in any inconvenience." Starfire had instantly picked up the hostility on the other girl's voice and attempted to smooth it over.
"Hunting of treasure? You mean you were actually looking for it?" If anything, the blonde's tone went from coolly distant to threatening in less than a couple of seconds. Seeing her attempt at a truce had backfired, Star turned to Raven and Beast Boy for support. The empathy looked away, but Beast Boy said,
"I wouldn't say looking…we were exploring, really, only…and we came though here by accident." He finished brightly, only to be met by Batgirl's cold stare. "Okay, dude, you're freaky. That's the truth-and even if it weren't, we've said it: we're sorry! We would have never come down 'ere if we had known it was such a big deal."
"Not good enough, green boy." She growled. "The Bat Cave's not a tourist attraction; you have no right to be here." She turned to Robin, "I'll be in my room." Then she stormed off.
"Dude, what's her problem?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes following the blonde vigilante as she left the chamber. Robin shrugged, walking towards the computer. "Dude?" Beast Boy called after him.
"If you excuse me, young Masters, I must attend to my charge." Alfred bowed out, leaving the four Titans alone. Robin initiated the computer, beginning to log in to the system. After a pregnant silence, Raven asked quietly,
"You think she's right, don't you?" Robin didn't answer. Unsettled by the Boy Wonder's silence, Starfire added,
"Is this true, Friend Robin? Do you find our presence here displeasing?" Robin sighed, rubbing his temples before turning around to face his three friends. Raven realized that the only reason they weren't getting an earful right then was that the Boy Wonder was too exhausted to be mad. Quite suddenly, she felt guilty for allowing this little expedition-she should've known better than to test Robin's temper at the present time.
"Yes." He finally answered quietly.
"Dude! You wound me!" Beast Boy exclaimed, trying to ease off a very uncomfortable silence.
"May I inquire as to why?" Starfire asked, knowing she was walking on eggshells.
"I think we'd better just go." Raven deadpanned, but her comment went unnoticed.
"I don't want to get into that right now, okay?" Robin shook his head, turning back to the computer. "Let's just go get some dinner, guys."
"Please, Robin. If you do not trust us, I feel we deserve to understand why." Star's voice, though soft, was determined. Raven sighed, and Beast Boy looked away uneasily. There was an echo to the question that concerned neither of them, a clue to what Starfire really wanted to know-Why don't you trust me? Why won't you talk to me? Why don't you want me?
"I do trust you, Star-I trust all of you guys. With my life. You know that."
"Then why does it displease you that we gained access to this cave of bats?"
"Because…I, well-"
"We are your friends, and yet all you do is push us away at times when you clearly need us most. If you truly believed in us, we would know your given name-like you know ours."
"You know my real name."
"I know the words-though not by your mouth. But a name is so much more than words! Why is it that you insist on remaining hidden from those that love you best? What is it you fear?"
"I fear nothing, Star-and what little I did has all come to pass."
"I plead that you do not attempt to deceive me, Friend." Her crystalline voice was shot through with heart-breaking hurt. "You must fear something-and I believe that I know what that is. You are afraid of being loved; you fear letting yourself be vulnerable." Her eyes pleaded with Robin, and it almost seemed as if she pitied him. "It frightens you that we might get to know the real Robin. This is why you have chosen not to trust us." Except he does trust Raven-over you, a voice in her head reminded her, but she ignored it.
"Don't be like this, Star." He finally answered, swallowing the anger that pity always awoke in him. "You know I trust you, all of you. I'd dive from any skyscraper and never once doubt one of you would get to me before I fell splat on the street!" He hadn't intended to raise his voice, but still it thundered against the cave walls. When he spoke again, his voice was carefully checked. "This is not about me trusting you-this is about you breaching that trust and completely disregarding my need for privacy and the sanctity of this place!" Though he never yelled again, his voice regained the same overpowering quality of his outburst. " See, I don't think you get just how important this is to me and to Babs. This is the Bat Cave-you breaking in here is the same as if you had knocked down the door to Bruce's bedroom, or his study. This place is Batman; it belongs to him and me and Alfred and Babs. No one else-and right now, I don't much feel like sharing."
"See, it is about trust! You just said it yourself-you will not share your troubles! Whenever I am feeling upset or angered, you are excellent at listening and lending support. But when I try to do the same for you, you will not allow it. This not right-a friendship needs to work on both ends of the chain that binds. You must allow me to care for you like you continuously look after me; otherwise, our relationship will never be complete." It was clear that Star was completely off-topic, yet her words bit all the same. Robin sighed, resigned; he would never get through to Starfire. Innocent, giving, honest Starfire could never understand the jealousy, the egoism that coursed through him as he beheld them on the jagged Bat Cave floor-he didn't even understand it himself. What he wanted to do was yell at her, at all of them, and shove them straight up the stairs and out of the Bat Cave-then lock it from the inside and bar himself in. But then she said, "How can I ever feel like your friend if you never allow me to be one?"
And he understood. And it angered him most of all-though the fury was certainly not directed at her. Or anyone else, for that matter. It was just a free-floating passion that dashed through him like ice-cold venom.
"You want to be a good friend, Star? Then understand this: I have to stop talking. Now, before I say something I shouldn't-and since it's just itching on the tip of my tongue, I need you to back off. I don't want you in the Bat Cave-not like this, not by sneaking around. I would have brought you here on my own time, but you didn't trust me to do so. I'm sorry for that-after five years, it is I who doesn't have your trust." He unkindly stared her down, before adding, "I'm going to go lie down, before I die on my feet. Stay if you want. I don't care any more. " And he stormed off, relishing the feel of three stares on his back.
"Did you ever?" Star called after him, angrier than she could ever remember feeling and deliberately twisting his words. "Did you, Robin?" Robin only. He froze on his tracks, but did not turn around. "I used to think you did-only now I am not so certain and-"
"Stop talking, Star. You don't mean that." He faced her as he dismissed her.
"But I do! You have hurt me before, Robin, but never like this!" Robin looked at her strangely, but she only stared back-and then he realized; she knew. She knew about him and Raven in the study-she knew about their conversation, his tears, the sex. Asking how was pointless-she knew. For a fraction of a second, his eyes turned to where Raven and Beast Boy did their best to blend in with the background. His eyes met the demoness', and he knew himself to be correct because Raven harbored the same suspicion-nay, the same conclusion. When he turned back to the Tamaran, her pear grass bottle eyes were blurry with tears. "I thought you cared-I considered you my dearest, most precious friend. Now I know I was wrong to do so. I will never be good enough to deserve you." Beast Boy coughed uncertainly, and she amended. "Your trust. Your true friendship."
"Star…"She turned her back to him, and shrugged off the tentative hand he placed on her shoulder.
"You can leave now, Robin. I do not desire to discuss this further."
"Star…"
"Leave!"
"Fine. Be that way." And he pushed past a panel in the wall, disappearing from view and never once looking back as Starfire repressed strangled sobs and thundered up the staircase.
Raven and Beast Boy stood in silence, exchanging glances. Beast Boy felt lost, but Raven spoke before he could ask her what just happened. "Not a word, Beast Boy. Not one." And she followed Robin through the cave wall.
But Beast Boy was not stupid-and he remembered the red flannel Raven had changed out of. Shaking his head, and feeling more than a little guilty, he dragged himself back up the stairs.
Raven caught up with Robin just as he stopped in front of his room. He heard her behind him, and his frown softened involuntary. "What is it?" he asked her, and his voice was devoid of its earlier venom.
"I came to apologize." She answered slowly. He stared at her expectantly. Raven sighed; there seemed to be no end to this week's novel experiences. "I understand why you're upset-it's very well within your rights." That he believed. "We should have known better than to go…snooping around. Especially me." Wasn't it her, after all, that demanded the utmost privacy? "We didn't mean anything by it." She paused, forcing her mouth to pronounce, "I am sorry."
Against his will, Robin smiled slightly at the obvious effort it had taken her to force the words out. He knew what she could've said-how it had been Beast Boy's project in the first place, and she had only gone along with it to prevent them from getting into too much trouble. She could've absolved herself easily from any blame, knowing he'd believe her. But instead, she humbled herself in the name of his anger, the last of which left him when her eyes met his.
"I would've taken you there myself."
"I believe you."
He opened the door, and gestured her in. She obliged him, but paused at the door. "Will you forgive Beast Boy and Star, too?"
"I already did." He answered evenly. "Though it doesn't take the anger away." Or Star's words, they both heard. Their friend's claims still rang in both their heads as they closed the door and settled on the floor by the foot of his bed.
"A fine mess you've made of my room." He told her, opting to ignore heavier topics for the moment.
"I was bored. Extremely bored."
"I can see that." He eyed the piles of books around his desk. His gaze fell upon the sketchpads. "You found my sketches, too."
"I did." The strange jealousy returned, and Raven avoided his eyes. Robin smiled, recognizing her unease by the source and feeling not a little smug.
"And?" He prodded.
"They're…nice." She answered haughtily. Robin laughed, and spontaneously kissed her cheek. Another snow globe exploded. They paid it no mind.
"The blue one's yours."
"Huh?" She couldn't understand, especially when her every brain cell was concentrating on the single spot of her face that Robin's lips had graced.
"Here." He offered her the last of the notebooks, and she reluctantly opened it-only to find her own face staring back at her from every page. Again, the lines were crude, the proportions mostly lost-but it couldn't have been someone else. It really was Raven, as beautiful as she could ever be, even more so with her half-closed eyes and the uneven curtain of silken hair. Raven in flight, really-she looked ethereal, surreal, unattainable; free. As the notebook progressed, the Raven in paper began to loose her otherworldly quality in favor of the earthiness she had so envied. She sacrificed a divine aura for the unmistakable musk of carnality, the solidness of true flesh.
At lost for words, she closed the notebook and stared at its author-Robin wore a small, satisfied smile that she felt her own lips begging to reflect. She had never known herself beautiful, or desirable-until now. She was undeniable and young and pure sexual energy desperately bursting through every pore of her delectable skin. That's how she was with Robin; that's who he made her be. He gave her the reality she had always sought-the earthiness that was sweat musk human over the illusion of demonic immortality.
Without thinking, Raven straddled him and tore at his mouth with her lips. She wanted to show him that he'd seen right, that she indeed could be the mortal temptress of real raw flesh. She felt him push back with his tongue and hot stinging lips, his hands clutching the tissue around her hips as if wanting to claw it off the rest of her body. She pushed him flat on the floor and continued her ravage, drawing blood from his bottom lip before trailing down to his neck, using her teeth to rip the fabric of his uniform whenever it got in her way.
"Whoa, take it easy, Rae." He panted in her ear, before forcing her face back to his own and kissing the underside of her chin. "All. The time. In the world." And then he bit down on her neck, and she found it hard to believe that he truly wanted to slow down.
Cyborg knew she beautiful, especially when she slept-all cocoa-swirl skin and long, curled eyelashes. She was lovely with her plump, parted lips and the tiny sights that escaped her every once in a while; ravishing in the way her slender fingers clasped the yellow pillowcase. But she was wonderful when she banished his doubts, when she disregarded all the unknowns-and perfect when she dispelled his guilt and opened his eyes to the only choice he could have ever made.
Her tiny foot rubbed against the exposed part of his leg, and he knew he couldn't wait any longer. He'd tell them before nightfall.
Robin's head pounded and his eyes hurt from the glare of the computer screen in the otherwise pitch-black room. It'd been hours since Raven had fallen asleep and he'd started to work on his mentor's case; so far, he seemed to be getting nowhere. Taking a deep breath, he tried to make sense of the seemingly random pieces of information he'd assembled: the police file, Babs' and Alfred's accounts, criminal records, and the interview with Catwoman.
He shuddered just thinking about it; he and Babs had resolved to visit the feline femme after Babs had remembered the last time she'd seen Bruce sane: The Arcaham Asylum for the Criminally Insane Charity Fundraiser Ball. Halfway through the event, Bruce had left. With Selena Kyle. Thinking nothing of it, Barbara had gone right on dancing with the billionaire in turn.
And Bruce was dead the next day.
This led to the logical conclusion that Catwoman was their best shot at assembling the complicated puzzle. Wasting no time, the two vigilantes had, within minutes, successfully infiltrated Catwoman's lair-a small, decadent apparent in the city's West End. The place was nightmare; claw marks in the pink, frayed walls and heart-shaped cushions ripped to shreds. Over a dozen cats overran the floor of any one room at a time and pink, neon letters spelled HELL HERE through the bedroom window.
Robin felt strangely at home.
The mistress of the house was in-which is a manner of speech, really, because Catwoman was quite out of it. Half clad in her skin-tight leathers, she was only a vague shadow of the elegant woman that had attended both Batman's and Bruce's funeral. She prowled the rooms of the house, pressing close to walls and slithering over couches until finally settling on a wreck of a canopy bed.
"The demon, he came. A deal, oh yes, a deal with the demon-his heart for his brains, power for power, a life for a life, Ms. Kitty." She sang in a voice that was scratchy and overused. "Heeeeeeeere kitty kitty kitty… The devil's not a snake; the devil's not a cat! The devil wishes for a heart! Isn't that right, Ms. Kitty? The demon came from 'haven! The demon flew outta 'haven! Heeeeeere kitty kitty kitty…" Then shed half-laughed, half-cried herself to sleep. Bewildered, but still determined to get every last morsel of information she possessed, Robin and Batgirl waited for an hour until she woke up again, slightly more lucid.
"Look, Ms. Kitty!" Though not by much. "A little redbird, flying right in through the window!" The words were drawn out, like a drag from an overprized cigarette. "And a bat, too! We like bats, don't we, Ms. Kitty?"
"Look," Robin figured that humoring her whims would get them nowhere, and decided on a straight approach. "We need your help; we need to know what happened the night of the Arcaham Ball. Do you remember it?"
"Those awful white lights, why yes we do, Ms. Kitty and I!" Though her words were girlish and silly, her delivery was anything but-in that raspy, seductive voice, how could it be? "We danced and danced and twirled our way home!"
"That's right, you went home. Was Bruce there?"
"How could you guess! The little redbird has a sharp mind, Ms. Kitty. We wonder if that's all bat?"
"And then what happened?" Batgirl urged, but Robin cut her off, sensing once she got started on that, that would be the last they'd learn.
"How did you get there?"
"Alfred, driving the limo and he drops us off two streets earlier because the night is clear and beautiful black! So we walk the streets in the shadow."
"Did you see anyone else-besides Bruce?"
"I saw no one, and my eyes are Ms. Kitty's own. But he was there, the white black demon! He was, Ms. Kitty, he was!"
"Then?"
"I told you before! Didn't I, Ms. Kitty?" She barked a laugh, insane and strident. "The devil! The demon! He came upon us in the shadow of the valley of Death, and I feared evil! I did, Ms. Kitty, I did! A heart for a brain, power for power, a life for a life!" She rolled around, throwing her legs in the air and circling them madly. "It could have been mine-the last one of nine! But the bat swooped in and black black black black black!" Another lunatic holler. "The devil out of 'haven! And he took the big black bat back! Only he! The devil was alone, the devil and the demon-pale death and black black black. I saw no one with the devil as he dragged into the night! Ah!" She droned on in a seamless scream. "Heeeeeeere, kitty kitty kitty…"
The conversation was over, it was clear; Catwoman crawled through the floor in her maniac mantra, rubbing against walls desperately. Robin turned to Batgirl, signaling her to the window. She climbed out first, and Robin was about to follow when he spotted the older woman, quiet now and sitting against the wall, staring intently at him. Guilt-maybe not guilt, but something quite akin to it grasped at him. He walked to the femme fatale, and handed her a mini disk from one of his belt compartments.
"Bruce left this for you." She blinked at him blankly. Sighing, he walked to the corner of the room, where a neglected computer sat. He quickly got the disk running, and left it so. She could watch it when sanity returned-even if only partially and momentarily. Robin turned back to her, struggling for the right words. "Bruce, he….he loved you very much." When the woman didn't respond, Robin made for the window. Just as he was climbing out of it, he heard her say,
"Bite down on it, Ms. Kitty, yes. That's what one must do when life hands you a tasty morsel-bite down and refuse to let go, because it'll try to take it away again. But if your teeth sink deep enough, maybe you'll keep it. And once it stops tugging, you can keep it. Forever, Ms. Kitty."
Bite down on it. Robin rubbed his eyes and gave another deep sigh. With little difficulty, he pushed the emotional elements of the experience aside and concentrated on the facts. Alfred had told him he'd dropped Bruce and Selena off on Thoreau Boulevard, not a twenty minutes' walk from the gate of the Wayne state. From there, they would've taken the run-down Thirteenth Street, if Catwoman's recollection of darkness was anything to go by, which would eventually lead to the uphill trot to the manor.
One assaulter, then-the devil. Or the demon. One and the same. The point was, there'd been no henchmen, a fact that ruled out the great majority of Batman's scrawny, more mind-oriented enemies; none of them would've been able to take the Dark Knight on their own. Indeed, Robin couldn't but doubt that there'd be any man, anywhere, capable of taking on the Caped Crusader single-handedly and walk away victorious. He must have surrendered-but why? What could force him to surrender to such extent?
Leverage, obviously. But what precisely? And if it was a matter of leverage, then all villains were back on the suspect list.
He shifted through files; jail, jail, death, jail, mental asylum, missing, jail, mental asylum, dead, mental asylum, asylum, missing, asylum, dead, asylum, missing, reformed. Someone new, then?
Dropping the criminal profiles, he concentrated on the MO. Positively twisted, but there was one case that resembled it, if only on minor scale-several, actually. Twenty-one bodies, washed up on Gotham Harbor over the course of the past two and a half months. All male, brawny and unidentifiable, with broken necks. Forensic reports had shown the heart missing from 11 of them-the rest hadn't had an autopsy, but Robin was willing to bet he knew what they would have found. Or wouldn't have found, in this case.
"What are you doing?" A hand settled on his shoulder. Remarkably, Robin was startled. His hand immediately went for the only available weapon: one of the heavy tomes that cluttered his desk, Spiritual Politics: Changing the World From the Inside Out. "Jumpy, aren't we?" Robin turned around, and there was Raven-sleek and familiar, naked under the red silken sheet from his bed she'd wrapped her body in. Catwoman's words came unbidden to his mind, Bite down on it, Ms. Kitty, yes. That's what one must do when life hands you a tasty morsel.
"A little." He admitted, looking sheepish. Heartbreaking cute, Raven reflected, even as her eyes looked him over. Like her, he had opted for the comfort of near-nakedness and wore only loose pajama pants, which Raven recognized at the ones she had donned earlier-a choice that left his very well built back exposed. His black hair was messy, his eyes glazed as if from sleep, and Raven noticed dried blood clinging to his swollen lips.
"You've got…" she gestured at her own mouth.
"Blood?" He finished, trying ineffectively to wipe it off with his hand while wondering if the blood was hers, or his own.
"Yeah," she looked thoughtful for a second. Then, "Here," Bending her dead down, she used her warm tongue to wipe his lips clean.
"Thanks," he answered huskily, and she smiled with pointy incisors before he turned back to the screen.
"What are you working on?" she asked from somewhere near his shoulder.
"Bruce's case." He answered simply.
"Oh." After a pause, she continued, "How's it going?" She would've liked to ask more specific questions-she had yet to see the infamous murder files-but deemed it inappropriate. Besides, how was she to word such a question? Hey, how did your father's corpse look? A little less than subtle.
"Awful." He answered, sensing she wanted more. "Take a look at the files." He tossed them to her, but continued to type away until he heard the expected, sharp intake of breath. Nevertheless, she was as composed as ever when she asked him,
"What have you got so far?"
"A couple of leads-nothing too significant. I figured he was taken on Thirteenth, probably through blackmail. The MO doesn't match any of Bruce's previous acquaintances, so it's probably a new face-in Gotham, at least. I do have one lead on it, though, a-" He was interrupted by a dull beep. By instinct, Robin's head turned to the window before he forced his face down, his expression pained. Curious, Raven turned to the window-and saw the Bat Signal, clear against the ink-black sky.
Red Notes:
Doom-doom-doom. Ha. Not quite, but still…seemed like a nice place to cut it off at. As usual, I am doomed to hacking information out of chapters-the good news, however, is that all the stuff that was left out of this chappie is already written, so that cuts the waiting time for the next one by around 40. Also common, the plot creeps by inch by inch. Igh. That'll change next chapter, I swear.
These Notes will be uncommonly short, because I'm most anxious to post.
First indenting, now dashes; I'm going to rip my hair out.
Cyborg: Yes, I'm stalling, and yes, it's a bit repetitive. Sorry. But I have to pace that storyline, because it has to climax at the same time as the other 5. No way around it.
The Bat Cave mess: Might seem a little force, the Bat-siblings' attitude, but I swear it's canon. At least, it seems to me. Anyway, as you probably could tell by yourselves, the initial argument was only a meant as a catalyst to the Star/Robin debacle.
Star/Rob: I thought that their argument was pretty in-character. I know that Star was pulling stuff outta nowhere, but it doesn't matter-it cuts Robin all the same. And though it might seemed like a good guy/bad guy thing at first-though I sincerely hope it wasn't-I do think there's material in there that I can develop towards climax. Anyway, it's all pointing towards the big, dramatic scene that's been written since chapter 1.
Beast Boy: Conspicuously absent. Sorry; no room for him in this chapter, no matter how much I love him.
Catwoman; Off her rocker, like she always has been. Though I did mess up her personality a bit-here's hoping no one minds.
Raven-I think what I said in last chapter still applies; Robin looking at her as desirable and earthly thrills her because it sets her away from the demonic, asexual, mystic image she has of herself sometimes-or rather, she figures other have of her.
Robin and the murder plot-a little tribute to comic book canon, as I'm sure some of you figure. Please, don't think I'm taking that storyline and shoving it into the plot. I'm only taking some teeny-tiny details for flavor.
Next chapter-up in two weeks, I fervently hope. Containing: a five-way argument, roof hopping, and (at last) some villain—ass kicking action on Gotham streets! Yes, the plot will FINALLY move along.
-Fée: (aka RedRooFlare)