Here is the next chapter of Jukebox. See, I can update more quickly!
Again, some of the story line borrows heavily from a few of the current and past DC Comic Titles, including New Teen Titans, Titans, Teen Titans, Teen Titans GO!, Justice League of America, The Outsiders and R.E.B.E.L.S. with plenty of creative license.
Although my storyline predates the current DC storyline for Dick and Kory, but the comments about not remaining on Earth borrows from the Justice League of America storyline from this past spring. Starfire left the Titans and joined the JLA and then realized that being there with Dick Grayson, now Batman, was too painful. She left him a note, (we have not been told what was in it) and flew to the Vega Star System. Richard was very sad. Kory joined the REBELS. They pine for each other a lot. And she keeps saying she can't be on the same planet with him while she still feels this way. Are the writers going to get them back together? Who knows.
This ended up shorter than I wanted but it was going to get really long if I included the next section – It's still 2,700 words or so of text and I will be updating regularly now.
Thank you for the continued positive response to this story and feel free to PM me to prod me along about updates!
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Disclaimer: All of the DC Universe: Not mine and as the True Master would say: not now, not ever.
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Jukebox concept: Mine
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Jukebox
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Chapter 5
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"You've used the Jukebox, Grace?" Cyborg asked to verify. He didn't even try to hide his skepticism.
"Yes, I have, a number of times. And I'm not sharing what I relived. I'm rather... open, to put it mildly, but there are limits to even what I'm willing to talk about," a rare blush graced her cheeks as she smirked. "I'm so glad I got a chance to go relive some things and when I get the opportunity, I've got a whole list of things... well, I'm sure you understand."
"So it's a time machine?" Dick asked.
"Not exactly," Grace replied.
"What do you mean, not exactly? You go back in time to a certain point and are there again, right?" Cyborg said.
"I don't want to mess with history," Dick said, feeling his hope dashed. As much as he wanted Kory back, was he willing to change how things happened for his own sake, for hers? He'd have to change a lot of things he had said and done, and they still might not end up together.
"You can't change anything that happened, Dick. You can't alter what you said or what you did, but you can go back there to relive it. On some levels, you are aware that you are back there, almost like the way you know during a dream that you are dreaming. And if you bring another person with you who was also there with you during the original experience, well, reliving it... it takes things up a notch if you know what I mean... There's a bit more than that, but we'll get into that later with the keepers of the machine," Grace informed him.
"What's the catch, then?" Cyborg asked.
"Well, there isn't a catch exactly. It's probably more of a 'be careful what you wish for'. Now I'm only a bartender-"
"And a hero," Dick reminded her with a kind smile in spite of how much he was hurting at the time.
"fine, I'm a bartender and a hero on hiatus, but I know a bit about people. Our mind plays tricks on us. We remember events in a way so that we can live with them. I have a feeling that Nightwing, our resident tall, dark and broody, wants to go back and see what he did wrong as well – am I right?"
"Yes, so I can see exactly how badly I treated Kory and make sure I apologize to her about everything."
"And because we all know you need to beat up yourself more," Grace replied with a roll of her eyes.
"You know man, Grace is right. Maybe relive the good times, convince Kory to relive them with you, but the bad times? Do you really want to go there?" Cyborg said to his team leader, this time being gentle when he put his metal hand on shoulder.
"But still, to make amends I should-"
"Let me cut you off there and let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's talk about the Jukebox, where it came from, how it's used, that kind of stuff. I have things to warn you about as well, so you're going to have to think long and hard about using it when the time comes. I'm talking from experience and what other humans have gotten from the experience, good and bad. The keepers are generally benevolent but like most other creature, they have an agenda of their own. So Cyborg, you said you heard of the Jukebox, do you know where the technology came from, and why it's called the Jukebox?"
"As I said," Cyborg replied, "I always heard it was an urban myth, that it was something some alien race had for it's elderly to give them an alternate reality or something like that when they were dying."
"Not quite, Cy," Grace said. "It was developed by the alien race, the A'day'vin'marvs for their elderly. You see, they have particularly high intelligence and long lives, but their bodies give out on them 30-40 years prior to their death. They are fortunate in that they do not suffer from much dementia, but they certainly do suffer from boredom. So between proving complicated, I don't know, physics theorems or something or playing Oan bridge and Psion chess, they were restless and discontent. So the Jukebox was invented. It was called the Jukebox because generally the things that the beings wished to relive was something akin to reliving a dance or another memory tied to music."
"Because memories are ingrained using more than one sense, and who doesn't want to relive a romantic dance?" Dick said.
Cyborg gave him a lot, "Geez, that was positively girly, Dick!"
"Hey, I have to think more like Kory to win her back!"
"I guess that's one strategy."
"Look guys," Grace said, "It's getting late. Are you on a schedule or what?"
Cy looked over to Nightwing who was doing his characteristic rubbing on the back of his neck when he was embarrassed, "Well, the thing is Grace, Starfire has no idea we're coming, so if we need an extra couple of hours or even days here, it'll work."
"She doesn't know!" Grace said with a loud laugh, "Aw man, Nightwing, I hope this doesn't blow up in your face!"
Nightwing really hoped that it wouldn't either, but at that point, he was committed, and he was going to go to Tamaran and find her and beg and plead and do whatever it took. Hopefully he could bring her back to the station to use the Jukebox and show her how good they were together.
He didn't know that Starfire was now leading Tamaran and had a commitment there to her people. The news about her rule was kept quiet throughout the universe. The 2828 Sector, the Vega Star System and Tamaran liked its privacy anyway. Nightwing also figured that if he warned her about his visit, Starfire might just flee and he would lose his chance to talk with her. It was a very, very large universe after all.
It never occurred to him to wonder why she was really there and why she had stayed as long as she had. Or why she was not planning on returning to Earth for a long, long time.
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Starfire lit onto what used to be the drop off at the top of the Grand Tamaranean River's waterfall. It was spectacular in its height but not in breadth. Sadly at this point there was barely a trickle of water that only wet the cliff face that had once been carved out by the force of the water and served later to guide the gallons of water that flowed each second. Plants that sprung from spores, not dissimilar from moss and lichen of Earth but in iridescent oranges and blues rather than grays and greens were barely holding on to survival. They were likely to die out along with so much of the flora and fauna in the once lush jungleland.
Earth has so many beautiful waterfalls, so diverse in size and setting. I could not believe the size of some of them, some were so loud, even deafening... why do I torture myself, missing waterfalls of all things? I miss my friends, my work as a hero. But I can't go back... Until things change drastically, I cannot reside on the same planet as Richard. It hurts my heart too much.
Earth. Those last few days... Could she truly have left under more pathetic circumstances?
Earlier in her life, from age 11 on, she had been beaten, humiliated, bound, caged and even raped by the wretched Gordanians, the Citadelians and others. Later to be experimented on by the Psions and worse, but her warrior spirit and royal grace were never completely gone.
And they weren't gone as she fled Earth – and Richard – but both the warrior and the princess were tucked so deeply inside that they could not be further harmed. Kal-El, Superman had once gotten a chance to warn Koriand'r about the Batman, that he would never trust her and that she could never trust him. However, they both agreed that the then Robin, her beloved Richard, was nothing like Bruce Wayne. That might have been the truth then, but things change and so do people – and sadly, and unexpectantly, Richard did change.
As for her time on Earth as a whole, Starfire felt like she personified that expression people have for the month of March: In like a Lion, out like a Lamb.
She came to Earth escaping the Gordanian ship, snarling and fighting and difficult to tame. She remained civilized but fierce as she fought along side the Teen Titans and other groups of Heroes for years.
And then, right after the original five were back working together in their tower and Nightwing returned as leader, things fell apart within days. She had no choice but to leave and leave quietly, sedately, and not even under her own and once mighty power.
An unhappy Tamaranean can literally die from a broken heart, although rarely, and if Nightwing continued as he had been since returning from Gotham, she knew for certain that her powers would be gone and that her death would soon follow. It wasn't dramatics: it was physiology. Nightwing was her lover, her soul mate. They had shared an unbelievable bond. It didn't matter that he chose to ignore it, it was still there. He had the power to support Starfire so that she could reach her full potential and even beyond and he also had the power to literally destroy her. They had never discussed it, but she knew he understood that to a certain degree, yet it seemed as if he didn't even care. What could hurt more than that?
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It was the morning after the combat practice when Nightwing had suspended Starfire from their missions. In a rare move, something that had only happened about five times over that many years, practice was held at noon rather than 7 AM because there had been three Titan alarms over the evening and into the night. It also was not mentioned but those missions took considerably longer because Starfire was not there.
The group was not as balanced without Starfire. Nightwing knew this and had two options: reinstate her or replace her. He actually was planning on reinstating her. That was until she didn't show for late practice.
Even with the five hour delay, the four Titans were weary when they arrived at the course. Nightwing looked a bit annoyed but actually gave Starfire the benefit of the doubt. He used the comm to call to see why she was late and Starfire's voice was weak.
He was professional, and perhaps a bit compassionate, "Starfire, we are waiting for you on the course."
"Now? I came to practice at 7 AM Rob-, I mean Nightwing, and no one came. After 20 minutes I returned to my quarters."
"Aren't you coming now?" Nightwing said more sharply than he intended.
"I cannot Nightwing. I feel quite the unwell," she replied in a small voice. The morning was very cloudy and she had not been able to capture any of the rejuvenating sun rays that she desperately needed, depleting her energy stores with the walk down to the course and back earlier.
"I can't accept any excuses Starfire." Nightwing said firmly.
"I am truly unable to ambulate."
"Then fly."
She gave a dark chuckle, "You are fully aware what fuels my flight Nightwing. Do you honestly think I would be capable of flight anytime soon considering how you-"
"What? You're saying this is my fault?" Nightwing asked incredulously.
"My inability to fly? You know it is. You have been aware of this since we were stranded on that planet together years ago."
Nightwing let out an exacerbated sigh, "Listen Starfire, you are excused just this once and I will follow up with you later and have Raven check on you after practice. Nightwing out."
Nightwing turned to his teammates, "Alright guys, I was first up yesterday, Cyborg, you're up first today."
His teammates exchanged looks but no one said a thing and practice began.
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Nightwing did not follow up with Starfire but Raven did. Raven knocked on her door and heard no reply. She sensed Starfire's weakened state and phased through and was shocked to find Starfire in bed. The day had remained dreary and even with the curtains open, there was no discernible shadows and presumably no usable sunlight for Starfire to restore her energy.
At close inspection, Starfire's skin was nearly the color of Raven's. The honey gold tone was replaced by the dusky ashen gray that seemed so inconsistent with any color that a living Tamaranean's skin could ever be.
Starfire was so weak that her hand was trembling as she tried to move it. Her eyes were dry as were her lips, white crusts having formed around the openings that gave way as Starfire opened her eyes and then spoke to Raven, "Please tell no one, especially Robin, of my state Raven. I cannot stay on this planet any longer or I will die. Can you help me? Please Raven."
Raven took her hand, shocked that it was no more than room temperature, "Starfire, you are in no condition to travel anywhere, let alone leave the planet. Perhaps we can get you to the Watch Tower, to Dr. MidNite-"
"No. No one can know, especially the JLA, especially the Batman. In that case, death is preferable. Raven, with your help I will be able to leave in a few days. Perhaps we need only two."
"Starfire-"
"Please, I will die... or worse. Interplanetary travel does not impose the stresses that flight does within an atmosphere, and Tamaran is only 26 lightyears away. I have to leave soon however. We must prepare."
Raven let out a heavy sigh. She knew if she told Nightwing, he'd either be an idiot and make things worse or try to make things better and be an idiot again in the near future. If she enlisted help from Cyborg he'd kill Nightwing first and ask questions later. If he told Beast Boy, well – that wasn't going to happen, so that wasn't even worth thinking about.
"Starfire, tell me exactly what we need to do."
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To Be Continued...
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Thank you for reading and please review!
I will update soon.
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The Vega Star System is in sector 2828 for The Green Lanterns (not that they are all that welcome there.)
I made up the name but can anyone guess where the alien race the A'day'vin'marvs got their name? If you read me there's been hints.
LJ