Reedeeming Choices
Chapter Two: Night Sweats
Summary: Eight years ago, Starfire went missing, breaking the Titans apart. Now, Robin has spent eight years looking for, but the woman he's found isn't anything like who's he's looking for. What are Slade and his new partner planning? An AU.
Notes: This is out of character. In fact, this is so out of character that I'm going to go ahead and say that it's AU (Alternate Universe). Starfire is outrageously evil-sexy, Nightwing will be clueless, Slade will be maniuplative and cute, Beastboy is jaded, Raven is enlightened, and everything else is an original character or plot. WARNING: This is highly confusing to everyone but me. Enjoy. XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. The opening bit comes from Noriaki Kakyoin's story The Hitman, it's a lovely Slade/Starfire so go read it. Beautiful Stuff all around.
"Twenty-one," she said, flipping her cards over. Her rival cursed.
"Twenty, Kori! How is it that you beat me every time," he complained, as she pulled the fifty towards her. "I have stopped betting high when I play you."
"You get smarter every day, Daniel," she said smoothly. "But enough with the games. Will you or will you not tell me? Must I take all your money with card games?"
"If you played poker, Kori, it would be a different story," the fat man said, waving a cigar at her.
"But I don't, do I? Blackjack you can't rig."
"But you do!" Daniel settled back in his chair with a sigh. "You cheat, Kori Adrene," he said, waving his cigar like a finger. "But you are young and beautiful and make me feel useful. So this old man will be foolish. You wish to know of the Teen Titans after Starfire disappeared."
"What became of the group?" Kori asked, prompting him.
Daniel sat back, in his element now. "For a while, they continued without her, though they continued searching for her, without result. Mostly Robin. Terra took her place for a while, but the group dynamic was not the same. Everyone began to grow more moody without the lighter influence she had previously had over them, and fights began to break out more often without her to keep everyone pacified. After one particularly loud fight, Beastboy took a vacation from which he never returned--he was on a sailing outing and his ship crashed. The Titans thought him dead, but I know better. He protects a town called Brighton as a local superhero, and is married to a woman known as Lilith Jupiter. He is known as Changeling."
Kori smiled and shook her head ruefully at her own memories. "He is harmless, though, much too absorbed locally. He's put down roots now. Any children?"
"Two: Amy and Jonathon."
"Then he presents no threat." Kori discounted him with a wave of her hand, settling back in her chair and stretching. "Continue."
Daniel shook his head. "Heartless Kori! You are too good at your business and care too little."
"You can't talk," Kori pointed out. "Selling life secrets for set prices, after all."
"Without Beastboy to provide some comic relief and Starfire to keep the peace, the group began to fall apart. Moods grew blacker in the Titans Tower--Robin and Cyborg fought constantly. Raven locked herself in her room and seldom came out, and Terra was left to herself, disappearing from the Tower frequently. The group's strength was also broken. The HIVE began to gain advantage over them and they were easily defeated. Robin was the only one keeping the group going, and after a fight with Cyborg, Cyborg left. He started an electronics company, as you doubtless know."
Kori nodded impatiently. Much of the technology was used in Slade's surveillance and computers and drones, suitably altered. "I am not paying you for what I already know," she warned.
"You do not know this," Daniel said hurriedly. "A woman in his business is corrupt, encouraging him to work on a satellite she plans to use for her own means."
Kori leaned forward. "Who is the woman? And what does this satellite to?"
"It has the ability to send radio waves to the earth to operate any and every computer, in theory, with the power boosters they have put on it. It is not a well-known fact, and if it is, the rumors of its power have downsized its capabilities tremendously, but they are very dangerous. In theory, it is only used to control the computers for Cyborg's company. Not so in practice, as this woman is eager to prove."
Kori nodded. "Of course. But who is the woman?"
Daniel inhaled on his cigar and eyed Kori. "You have met her. Names are extra."
"Fine, fine," Kori said impatiently.
"Debrah Kellington is her name. She is 5'7", has hair that is called 'Platinum 7' by the company, size 4 dress, size six shoe, 32 waist and a 32C bust."
Kori repressed a laugh. "You are thorough," she said, "So she is the seductress type?"
"No, not in so many words. She is sincere in what she does, but has no regard for human life. You have met her before."
Kori nodded. "Now, what of Raven and Robin?"
"Raven left the planet when Cyborg left the Titans. My sources do not reach into space."
Kori cursed. "She's an unknown, then. A hitch in my plan, though she shouldn't... What of Terra and Aqualad?"
"Aqualad is now the king of Atlantis, married, with three heirs currently. He's trying to prevent an undersea civil war."
"That'll keep him occupied, then." Kori sank back in her chair. "Terra?"
"Owns a construction company."
Kori was incredulous. "You've got to be kidding me."
"No, it's true. She has a superhero alias--Rockshaker or something equally silly." Daniel waved it off as superflous. "All superheros are the same. She protects a small town called Norchester with some convenient villains nearby."
Kori laughed and stretched luxuriously. Daniel eyed her. "Don't you want to know of Robin?" he asked.
Kori stood up and grabbed her black purse. "I already know Robin," she said. She took an envelope from her purse and threw it at Daniel. He opened it and began counting rapidly.
"You're 200 short," he said when Kori had reached the door. She paused.
"That's what you owe me for gambling," she said smoothly, and was gone. Daniel chuckled once.
-
"Where were you?" Slade demanded as the door slammed open and shut, shaking the walls of the temporary flat. "Robin is out there."
"You keep it too dark in here," Kori said, switching on a lamp She opened the fridge and pulled out a bag of Froot loops, which she began to eat dry. "Sweet nourishment," she sighed in content. "If I have another beer shoved down my throat or see one more card, I'll throw up."
"You went gambling?"
"Have faith in me. I won 200 and gave 1800 counterfeit. Don't worry, he knows, but the people he'll be giving it to don't." She sat down on the couch.
"So where were you?"
"Getting information."
He glanced at her curiously, but no other information was offered. "About what?"
She closed her eyes dreamily. "Taking out the players before I go for the king," was all she said.
"I should never have taught you how to play chess."
"Too late now."
"Sadly. What did you learn?"
She opened her eyes and flipped off the couch before falling down by Slade. "Guess," she whispered in his ear. He was unaffected.
"What did you learn?"
She sighed and leaned back against the couch. "You're no fun."
"And you're no slut. What did you learn?"
She chuckled. "Touché, mon cher. If Robin convinces them to come, proof in hand, there is a slight possibility. Beastboy has kids, surprise surprise."
Slade raised an eyebrow. "Sarcasm?"
"No!" She laughed. "Aqualad is stopping a war, Terra's going local, Cyborg is being seduced so Debrah Kellington--remember her?--can take over every computer in the world, and Raven's in space."
"Fascinating. Is Cyborg truly that naive?"
"When she's dangling a red lacy thong in front of his face, yes."
"Is that even possible--? No, don't tell me, I don't want the images."
Kori laughed, then yawned. "I'm going to shower and bed. Keep an eye on the Ambassador tonight."
-
Kori had no intention of going to bed. Locking herself in her room, she pulled out a metal case from under the bed. It was thin, about the size of a briefcase with a red velvet handle. She opened it and turned it on, a computer screen flashing across the top half. It was all written in a language and alphabet no one on earth could understand.
Quickly, she loaded something and read, with a worried frown coming to her face. Lilith Jupiter, Debrah Kellington, John Akire, and that only left...Raven. Daniel's contacts did not expand into outer space. Kori's did.
-
"Hello, Debrah," Miranda Jameson said evenly.
The blonde woman turned around in the chair and smiled pleasantly at her old friend. "Hello, Miranda. I love that hair color on you. Carmel Six, is it?? And that champagne ball dress is so elegant on you."
"Thank you, Debrah," Miranda said, and added mischievously: "And that red sweaty jogging suit is so excellent on you."
"Oh, don't be so flattering," Debrah said with a laugh. "Only the best for my sister-in-law. And how is my brother? I haven't seen Kameron in a while."
"Fine," Miranda said. "But you need to get back, right? What brings you to London?"
"I do need to get back," Debrah said. "I just need to make sure Robin doesn't interfere, as well as tie up a few things."
Miranda cast a curious glance but didn't question. "Murder?" she said, calm for plotting the death of her guest. Debrah frowned.
"I hope not, it'd be noticed too much. Only as a last resort. Can you keep him into somethin ghere? Away from the states, at any case."
"He's taken an interest in Kori Anderson," Miranda mused.
Debrah frowned, and the petite blonde leaned forward, brow furrowing. "I've taken an interest in her, too," she said darkly. "Her contacts worry me, as well as her personality, what she is and was. But as long as I can keep her in London..." Her frown deepened and she leaned back. "She has good reason not to return to the States." She sighed, then focused on Miranda and smiled apologetically. "Sorry to rant so, Miranda. I'm just so on edge with all this..." she waved a hand vaguely. "We're so close. I've got to run, Cy's expecting me at a meeting tomorrow. Thanks so much, Miranda." Jumping up, the blonde gave Miranda a quick hug before running out the door.
Miranda smiled, then sat in Debrah's vacated chair. She thought for a moment, then turned on her computer. Time to put her hacking skills into use once again.
-
"Hello, Miss Kellington."
Debrah froze as the tinted passenger window of her own car was rolled down. A woman wearing a black tank top sat in the front seat, wearing thin but very dark sunglasses and caressing the leather steering wheel with a light hand. "Kori," Debrah breathed. "What do you want?" Her heart thumped alarmingly in her breast. Damndamndamn.
"This is a nice car," Kori said coolly, running a hand across the steering wheel and dashboard. "Mercedes--and not as harmless as it looks. Right, Miss Kellington?"
"What do you want from me?"
Kori smiled and twisted abruptly in the driver's seat, crossing her legs across the seats in one fluid motion, making a great show of casualness. "What do you want with me, Debrah? You are no threat to me, even if you should get your satellite in the air. And I, out of the States, pose no threat to you. What do you want with me? Why do you hack my computers? You can't read it, you know. You can't read any of my files, it's encrypted beyond what your most advanced engineers have ever dreamed of. You'll never find my plans."
"I didn't hack you," Debrah said.
"I do not know why you take such an interest in me, but you are the only one who has kept such a close watch on me since you met me. Do you think you know everything about me? Do you think you know what I plan? You are wrong. You don't know what you're getting into. Did you order it done? I don't care if you did. Tell me why." A green bubble appeared on the end of Kori's finger as the radio switched on in the background.
the clock's run out, time's up, over pow--
Anything, anything. "You're a threat," Debrah said, trying to keep her face calm. "You could interfere with any of my plans, erupt everything--"
"Not good enough, Debrah," Kori said as the volume increased. "Why?"
you only get one shot to not miss your chance to blow the opportunity comes once in a lifetime--
Debrah licked her lips nervously. "What do you want me to say? You scare the hell out of me, you're an unpredictable, you could change everything---"
Kori leaned back, eyeing Debrah from behind her sunglasses, eyes unreadable. "It's all the same, Debrah. You give me the same reasons, but not the real one." She surveyed her emotionlessly. "I don't think you even know the real reason." Her voice abruptly changed; it was abrupt and businesslike and her tone was cold. "Until now, I let you monitor me, because I held you at gunpoint though you held me at knifepoint. But no more. I have my own plans, you have yours, and you will not hinder them. My tolerance has run out, and I am taking away your knife." She abruptly smiled. "It was nice meeting you again, Miss Kellington."
Debrah had time to shield her eyes before the light erupted, engulfing her car. Kori was gone.
Notes: Miranda didn't hack Kori. That's someone else entirely, and that's the only clue I'm giving you there.