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In the poorer and more unknown sector of Jump City sat a disheveled teenage girl. She leaned against a rough brick wall and her attention seemed to have turned inward into herself. Her dark red hair was a tangled mess, and she sat with her body curled as if she wanted to hide from the outside world. A small pack lay beside her; most of its contents had been emptied out as the alien's waning strength dissipated. It seemed as if the legends of her people were coming true. Earlier, Starfire had been flying through the air and over the bay to get away from the Tower. Her oversized bag had held so much personal possessions that any human would not have been able to lift it above an inch. However, circumstances had changed. The devastation Robin had wrought was bringing about a slow death on her powers. Flight had failed first, her super strength sapping away as time ticked by. When Starfire had realized that her powers were failing, she had immediately changed out of her well-known and recognized outfit. She hadn't wanted to meet any villains that would delight in the chance of battling a lone titan.
That was how she had ended up in the slums of Jump City, powerless and alone. Starfire was sitting in an empty street on a cracked sidewalk, not noticing the many faces that peered at her from behind blinds of the apartments across the street. Dusk had fallen long ago, but she hardly felt the chill of the night air; just as she had failed to notice the scantily clad woman flaunting themselves to passing cars as well as the countless people and vehicles that seemed flow into and out of the apartments. Luckily, Starfire was clad in a simple pair of jeans, a black sweater, and a worn pair of sneakers – she was therefore immediately disregarded by many of the seedy men seeking a cheap body to spend the night next to.
A figure emerged from the apartments and began heading towards the lone girl who had appeared in their neighborhood without a word to anyone. His roommates had been eyeing her appearance with apprehension for the past few hours, and he finally decided to take action and see who the stranger was. He vaulted over the apartment's wall with remarkable ease, and jumped a good ten feet without breaking his purposeful stride. Many of the strutting hookers turned sultry smiles his way – they knew who he was and what group he represented – but he ignored them as he always had and continued towards the huddled form of the strange teen. When he arrived right before her, he looked down at the messy redhead and cleared his throat. Nothing, no response, not even a look of acknowledgement. Slightly perturbed, he shuffled his feet against the sidewalk and sent pebbles skittering over the pavement. She remained in her reverie. A bit more cautious now – for he did not know if she was an addict wandering in on something – he crouched before her. When she didn't respond to that he decided on a different tactic.
"Yo." He said quietly, his mahogany eyes watching for any move she might make. Inwardly he sighed in relief when she lifted her head slowly and fixed large, blank emerald eyes on him. She didn't say anything.
"Are you okay?" He asked patiently.
Starfire swallowed nervously, remembering with sudden vividness the advice Cyborg and Robin had always given her: Never talk to strangers. It was something humans instructed their young early on in life and it was an elemental rule. Normally she would have disregarded it and proceeded to converse with the human, but that was because she always had the reassurance of her powers behind her. Without them, Starfire felt oddly vulnerable. She chose to ignore that factor and do as she always had – after all, there was nothing to lose anymore. It was fairly obvious that the alien teen was in a less than stable state of mind.
He could tell she was mulling something over in that pretty little head of hers. With a charming smile he stood and held out a hand to help her up. It was a risk, for she had barely responded to him earlier – but after a few long moments she reached up. He took her hand in his and brought her up to her feet. Somewhat surprised at how tall she was, he leaned away so that she would feel less threatened by his proximity.
"Do you need a place to stay?" He finally asked her, noting the way her shoulders sagged in defeat, her large blank eyes, the way her hair was messy in a way that spoke of no means to care for it, and of course the bag she held in the crook of her arm. When she directed a wary look his way and turned her body as if to leave, he touched her arm and gave a reassuring smile.
"Look, I'm not some pervert who wants you to live with him for sex," He said seriously, "This is just what I do. I help people who need taking care of."
Starfire turned towards him, her worn face hardened and expressionless. "I do not know what your name is." She finally said in a neutral tone.
The male gave a look of surprise, and then realized that he had in fact not given her a name earlier. How utterly forgetful of me, he ruefully reflected. "Pardon my atrocious manners," He said in a light, joking tone. "My name is Jess."
A few long moments passed between the two; Jess awaiting the girl's response and Starfire pondering what her next move should be. It was strange, but she was highly uncertain of what to do with herself around unfamiliar humans. It was as if the confrontation with Robin had shaken all her confidence in her abilities to interact with humans; he had rejected her in such a shattering way that she was afraid of being rejected by other humans, even though they meant nothing to her.
"Do I get to know your name?" He asked with an amused smile. "It is only polite to give your name when another has told you theirs."
When Starfire hesitated again, it was not because she did not know what to say next. He was making it easy on her, basically telling her what she was to say next. No, Starfire was hesitant because she did not know what name to give herself. She didn't want to be known as the Titan Starfire, because that could lead others back to her. Instead, she thought back to her real name and sounded it out in her head.
"Kory." She said softly, "My name is Kory Anders."
"Well then, Kory, shall we?" He asked her, pleased that she had given her name.
"Shall we what?"
He paused, and then glanced over at Kory. She had lost her earlier wariness and now seemed genuinely curious. It was a positive sign that she would, in time, come to trust him. For now, however, he was satisfied with the information she had revealed but, he really had to get back to the apartment. He knew that the guys would be fretting over the amount of time he had spent out here.
"Introduce you to your new roommates." Jess said with a grin. "I'm sure they will be delighted to meet you. So, grab your pack and let's go."
"I never accepted your offer." The newly dubbed Kory stated carefully. She was unnerved by the fact that he would naturally assume she would follow his lead. Kory was determined not to; it was a show of character in order to remind him that she was not going to be under his control, no matter how despairing the conditions were.
One of the street hookers sidled into their conversation after Kory said that. They all had been carefully observing the interaction between the infamous Jess and this ragged child. After the girl had so rudely declined the rare invitation, one of the most prominent streetwalkers decided that this was her chance to make some better connections.
"Jess," She cooed, puckering her ruby red lips at him. "Why offer this girl child such an honor? She could hardly please you." The whore obviously thought that she could please him, for she regarded him coyly under heavily made up eyelids while she smoothed the much too-tight bodice – so that it would draw his attention to her body. "You need a real woman; someone who can please you in every way." She simpered, fluttering her fake lashes.
A look of disgust rippled over his face before he could leash it back. It was well-known that Jess never mixed business with pleasure, and rarely ever took a woman to his bed; much less a whore. "Ginger." He acknowledged her with a tight nod. "You would do well to remember that Red owns you – and I have no desire for your company, except when you come to buy. Keep that in mind."
Ginger pouted at him – he was right, and she knew it. With one last wink in his direction, she sauntered down the street to ply her trade elsewhere.
Jess turned back to Kory, an embarrassed smile curving his lips. Her arms were crossed as she watched him patiently. "Look, do you currently have a place to live?" He asked, getting straight down to the issue at hand. He didn't have times for whores and their lurid ways.
"No."
"Do you want to live on the streets, and end up being like them?" He asked, gesturing to the many streetwalkers congregating on the sidewalk, as well as ones getting into cars or out of them.
Remembering the way Ginger had thrown herself at Jess, and the way the unpleasantly reminded her of Kitten and other girls who had come after Robin, Kory said tightly, "No."
"Alright then, problem solved. You don't have a place to stay and I am graciously offering you one. So let's go." Jess told her, a trace of laughter in his voice. This Kory was quite amusing; stubborn, wary, and very mysterious. He was looking forward to getting to know more about her.
"I suppose I have no choice." Kory said with a sigh. She looked up into Jess's eyes to find him staring at her with a serious expression on his face.
"You always have a choice, Kory. Remember that. I and mine will never force you to do anything – everything is of your own will, your choice."
Kory paused, mulling his words over. "I am willing to accept your offer, Jess."
"Good, good. Now let's go!" He said, somewhat impatiently. Without another word or look he spun on his heel and began striding across the road seemingly without a care in the world. Kory took a deep breath and followed after his form, walking quickly to catch up with him. They walked without speaking to each other, down the twists and turns of the apartment complex. After a few long minutes, Jess stopped in front of one of the apartments. It looked the same as the rest – the only apparent difference was that there was a large tree growing in front of one of the windows. An ashtray sat by the door, and the low murmurs of voices, television and music could be heard from outside. Eyeing the small apartment with apprehension, Kory realized that this was her new home. Jess walked up to the door and knocked some sort of code upon the wood surface. The chatter abruptly cut off and after a brief pause the door was opened. A cloud of smoke rolled out, making Jess grimace.
"Being careful and keeping on the down-low, I see." He rolled his eyes and stepped inside, motioning for Kory to follow. He shut the door behind him, locking all three of the locks before turning to his friends.
"Everyone, this is Kory. She'll be living here for now on." Jess intoned.
When Kory stepped inside the dim apartment, a wave of odd-smelling smoke hit her. It wasn't unpleasant in the least, though she had never smelt it before in her life. The room was small, with a large couch placed along the wall in opposing the doorway. A futon couch lay to her immediate left, and on her right was a shelf supporting a television on the middle shelf, four large speakers on the bottom, and on the right and left shelves were various DVD and VCR players. A desk was on the other side of the shelf, with a large computer sitting on it. A terrarium with many leafy plants was beside the computer, though there was no visible animal inside. A large wooden coffee table lay in the center of the room, on a small rug that had a snarling panther on it. The kitchen was an open entrance from the living room, and there was a tiny doorway beside the large couch that led to two small bedrooms and a bathroom. A sofa chair faced the futon, leaving a tiny space to get to the hallway.
When Kory finished studying the apartment, her attention was claimed by the guys in the room who were assessing her. One sat on the sofa chair, another three on the couch, and one on the futon with Jess sitting next to him. The one sitting on the sofa chair had long brown hair and a backwards baseball cap on. He was shirtless and very pale, oddly wearing dark sunglasses in the dim room. He had snakebite piercings on his bottom lip, as well as an eyebrow piercing. When he noticed the direction of her gaze he gave her a grin, "Hey there, cutie. My name's Joe."
Another guy rolled his eyes at Joe and remarked, "Not even a minute has gone by and already he's flirting. Nice one, Joe." He was sitting on the couch, in the middle of the other two males. He had very short blond hair and blue eyes, and was wearing jeans and a tee shirt. "Hey there, Kory, it's great to meet you. I'm Logan." He smiled pleasantly at her, and she noticed that his septum was pierced. Normally she would have found it strange to look at, but in these circumstances it seemed natural.
"He does have a reputation to keep up." The guy to Logan's left observed, taking a swig out of the energy drink he had been holding. His bottom lip was pierced once, and his dark brown – almost black – hair was spiked up. He turned a smug grin her way and checked her out slowly with piercing blue eyes. After lazily assessing her body – Kory was somewhat embarrassed, but her blush went unnoticed in the dark lighting – the guy introduced himself as Edward. "Everybody calls me Ed, though." He casually remarked, arrogance radiating off of him in waves. He was dressed in what were obviously name brand jeans, and a black skater shirt.
"Yeah, but if Kory is going to be living here – as she obviously is – then Joe should know better. She's off limits." Another guy piped up. He was the one sitting to Logan's right, and he looked the most normal of the bunch. He had medium brown hair that was worn short, and wore wire-framed glasses. While Joe had his piercing on his left eyebrow, this guy had his right eyebrow pierced. Kind blue eyes looked from behind the glasses at her, and he smiled cheerfully. His face was freckled and round; he was just as pale as the other three were. "Hi Kory. I'm Austin." When he spoke Kory caught a flash of a white circle; Austin had his tongue pierced as well.
"And finally, I'm Caelum." The one on the futon spoke, lighting a cigarette. He also wore a backwards baseball cap, though his sunglasses were on the coffee table. He had slicked back black hair, and brown eyes. He wore baggy shorts and a loose black shirt. He had a labret piercing and in his ears were gages. "So now that you've been introduced to all of us, why don't you take a seat?"
Jess had remained silent during the introductions, watching his friends and Kory interact. Luckily they didn't say anything about having a girl in their midst – the last time had been a disaster. She had almost ruined things for any female that wanted to be a part of their group. However, it was quite clear that Kory was almost the exact opposite of how Laura had been. He watched as Kory sat beside him, her body language betraying the fact that she was indeed nervous about being in the midst of strangers. She seemed unsure of what to do, so he decided that she would have to find her own way in this group. She had to carve out her own path, and they would leave her to do it.
"Do all of you live here…?" Kory finally asked them, overwhelmed with the thought of living with six males in a two bedroom apartment. Jess barked a laugh from beside her, and then moved to sit on the floor in front of the coffee table.
"As if," He remarked, taking a baggie filled with some sort of crushed plant out from under a candle holder, "Though we are trying to get a house. It'd be much better than this crappy apartment."
"Are you cleaning the weed, Jess?" Logan asked, leaning forward.
"Sure am – do you have that headlight thing?" Jess replied without looking up. He was squinting at the contents of what had been in the baggie – it now lay in a pile on the coffee table. "Oh wait, nevermind. It's right here." Jess grabbed something from under the coffee table and placed it on his head. It looked like a black band with a light attached onto it. Jess shined the light onto what he was doing, which appeared to be breaking up particles of the plant. Kory didn't understand it in the least.
"You look pretty curious there, chicka. What's on your mind?" Asked Ed, his eyes looking into hers. Kory pursed her lips, wondering exactly how to phrase her question. Previously the world of crime was black and white to her, though over the years she had learned there was varying shades of grey. It seemed as if she had just entered another shade of grey – for even though she knew that these guys were doing illegal activities and partaking in illegal narcotics, well, they had taken her in when she was alone. She could not turn down their friendship just like that – it was wrong.
"Who does live here, exactly?" She asked instead.
"Well we pretty much all live here, just add in a few." Logan told her with a grin. "In actuality, though, Austin and Jess live here, and they share the place with Paul and his girlfriend Amelia. They keep to themselves a lot, but Paul is pretty cool. Amelia's just a bitch though, so watch out for her."
"Even though we don't live here, we do end up crashing here quite a bit." Joe finished, his dark sunglasses glinting from the light Jess had on. "Caelum, d'you have another cigarette? I find that, woefully, I seem to have none left."
Caelum fished out his pack from one of his pockets, "You know you shouldn't smoke. It's bad for your health." He remarked, crushing the butt from his cigarette in the ash tray. "Here you go, junkie." Caelum tossed the pack to Joe, a grin on his face.
"Ah, sweet cancer!" Joe cried, lighting a cigarette up.
Logan rolled his eyes at their antics and got up to turn off the music. "I'm thinking we should save the techno for tomorrow night," He said, "And instead have a movie night."
"Super sweet!" Austin said, jumping to his feet. "Should I invite Heidi, John, Matt, and Mikey over?"
Jess seemed to consider it for a moment, and then nodded his head. "Go ahead, it shouldn't be a problem. If Mikey comes over make sure he brings his pipe though. I'm so sick of the way he's been acting lately – he isn't coming over if he doesn't bring it."
"He has been quite the douche lately." Logan said, handing his cell phone to Austin. "Besides, it would be a chance to introduce Kory to everybody."
Ed rose from his seat, stretching. "What about Josh and Chris? Josh doesn't have class tonight and his girlfriend works. So he's definitely just sitting at home and moping."
Jess sighed and dusted his hands, standing up. "I know that you and Josh don't smoke. I don't have to worry about Heidi and John; they'll bring their own weed. Chris isn't coming over – he always whines and complains about the smell, so that would put a damper on the evening. Matt is cool, it'd be great to have him over, but like I said. Mikey needs to bring the pipe in order to come over."
Austin had left the room and was talking on the phone to somebody – Kory couldn't hear what was being said. It seemed as if all the guys knew how to coordinate their movements around everyone else. Nobody had to wait for another to do something, and they all seemed to work well together. Logan and Jess were debating what movie to watch and if someone should go out for a food run – and who it would be. Ed had taken out his cell phone and was talking to somebody, ignoring the noise around him. Both Joe and Caelum had gone outside to smoke their cigarettes, saying something about Austin hating the smell of cigarette smoke. Kory sat in a daze, watching them all at their different tasks, silent for the first time – having no questions or comments about anything going on.
She stood up and began looking for a place to put her pack. It seemed as if the guys were going to invite a number of people over, and so she wanted to put her stuff away so that it didn't get in anyone's way. After searching the living room, Kory found a nook right behind the door and futon – a number of jackets were hung up and piles of shoes were placed there. She put her pack at the very back of it, and sat back down on the futon.
Everybody had returned to their seats by that time, and Jess was putting the cleaned weed back in the baggie. He placed it back under the candle holder, and then looked to the others. "So, what's the deal?"
Austin handed back Logan's cell phone, turning to Jess. "Heidi and John will stop by later on, but they can't stay long. Their pit is having puppies any day now, and they want to be there for when it happens." He paused, and then continued, "Chris is coming over, but he needs a ride. Mikey isn't coming – apparently Laura is going over there and he doesn't want to spend time away from her." All the guys eye-rolled and Kory made a note to ask about this Laura person and what she had done to have them all react like this.
Ed began texting on his phone as he told them, "Josh is coming over too, and no worries he doesn't plan to do any weed. He also says he won't lecture you all this time either." He finished texting, snapping his phone shut and putting it into his pocket. "I'll be picking him up."
"Okay then. Austin, do you want to pick up Mikey? Logan's going back to his place to grab a shower and some more weed." Jess said, lighting a cigarette. He ignored the looks both Joe and Caelum gave him – they were somewhat perturbed that they had gone outside to smoke but he just lit up in here.
"Yeah, sure thing. Are we getting food too?" Austin asked, grabbing his keys from one of the shelves.
Jess nodded, gesturing at both Caelum and Joe. "They're going to get their pipe from Joe's house. I figure that with the pipe the weed will last longer than with the bong."
"What will I be doing then?" Kory asked. Everyone's gaze turned to her, and Logan said, "Hey Kory, no worries. You're new so you don't have to be doing anything really."
Kory stared at him with level eyes. "I am now a part of this group," She began carefully, "And I wish to help out as much as I can. I do not want to be a … 'deadweight' as they say."
Jess smiled and said, "Don't fret your pretty head about it too much. You're going with me to get some food. And of course, anything else you don't have in that pack of yours that you need."
That being said, everyone departed for their various tasks. The apartment was locked behind them, and all agreed that they would meet back at the apartment by eleven – the movie would go in at twelve, for they had much to prepare for the crowd that was coming over. Both Paul and Amelia had emerged from their room; Paul was a tall dark-haired guy, who wore glasses. Strangely, he had no piercings. Amelia had orange hair and pasty skin, as well as piggy little brown eyes that seemed to bore holes into everybody. The couple said that they planned to go to a club tonight, and wouldn't be back until late into the next morning – which was a relief to all the guys. With everything planned out, the evening looked to be a good one.
Jess and Kory pulled up an hour later. They had gone to the grocery store and gotten four large pizzas that would be cooked in the oven, as well as two bags of chips and some toiletry items for Kory. She got out of his truck, carrying two of the bags; it was strange, not being super strong anymore. In fact, Kory didn't feel like herself anymore. She didn't have the same name, she was turning her back on the strict-follow-the-rules type she had been before, as well as living in a place she never would have looked at before. Kory was changing, and it had only taken heartbreak and a few hours to become a different version of the girl she had been before.
The guys were standing in a circle outside of the apartment. Logan, Caelum, and Joe were all smoking cigarettes, while Ed joked around with two guys Kory did not recognize and Austin. As Jess strode towards them – with Kory behind him – they shouted out their greetings. Kory glanced at Jess, noting the way his expressive eyes seemed to light up at the sight of his friends; then again, it could have been the sight of the cigarettes. She noticed with a start that he had his septum pierced as well as his left eyebrow. She hadn't noticed that before, oddly.
"I take it this is the newest addition?" One of the males asked, stepping forward. He had sandy brown hair and very pale blue eyes. He grinned at her and introduced himself. "I'm Josh; it's nice to meet you." He stood at height with her, so that meant he was a good 5'8" tall.
The other one towered over her, and was bulky to boot. He had dirty blond hair and brown eyes – he reminded her of an overgrown kid. "I'm Matt." He said, looking at the bags. "Please tell me you brought food."
At this Kory smiled, "Yes, we did get some food."
"Well then, Kory, you're my new best friend." Matt said with a relieved smile on his lips.
While Kory had been talking with the two new arrivals, Jess unlocked the door and went inside. Ed had followed him in, and soon the others were streaming in as well. Kory went into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter and began to unload them.
"May I put the pizza in the oven?" She asked. When Jess nodded at her, Kory unwrapped two of the pizzas and set the oven to 450 degrees. She placed both the pizzas on a baking stone, and then set it in the oven. After she did that Kory was struck by how comfortable she appeared to be so far. Perhaps it would seem strange to the others; maybe she should stick to keeping to herself. Shaking herself of that idea, Kory firmly told herself that everything was fine. It may be her first time amongst the guys, but everyone seemed to genuinely accept her and so she should not be over-thinking anything.
With that thought firmly taking root in her head, Kory left the kitchen to see what the others were up to. Both Austin and Matt were looking through Austin's extensive DVD collection for a suitable movie to watch. Ed was laying on Austin's bed and texting again – it seemed as if he were always on that thing, Kory thought with amusement.
"Yo, Kory," Logan called from the living room, "You should change into your pajamas – we're all going to crash after the movie."
Kory walked into the living room and bumped into Logan. As she tilted her head up to look at him, she realized how tall he was. Without thinking she said, "You are quite tall – I am guessing you ate all of your vegetables as a child?"
Logan rolled his eyes, "It's not my fault you're a midget." For he was quite tall at 6'7". Kory felt absolutely tiny – a new and odd feeling for her. She moved past him, giving him a small push – that would have been a shove when she had her super strength – and crossed the living room over to her pack. Jess watched her movements, admiring at how graceful she was. Kory remained oblivious to him, though, and pulled out a pair of purple shorts and a white tank-top.
When she left the room to change, Caelum and Joe came inside from where they had been smoking. Without a word, Caelum handed Jack the pipe he had gotten from Joe's house. Joe had finally taken off his sunglasses to reveal a pair of dark vivid blue eyes.
"Hey man, we're going to take off. It looks like I have to open tomorrow, and I know Caelum is going to want to prepare for tomorrow night." Joe said.
Jess stood and nodded at them both, "Alright guys, we'll see you tomorrow then?"
"You can be sure of it – we've been looking forward to it for weeks." Caelum replied, giving Jess a short hug. Joe laughed and hugged Jess as well.
"See ya, man. Be safe." Jess said to them as they both left the apartment. The roar of Caelum's car could be heard as they sped out of the parking lot and into the night. Jess sighed at their elaborate departure, and then decided to take his futon down. It would give everyone more room, and besides, it was Kory's new bed. Jess unfolded the futon, placing two pillows at the head of it and smoothing a blanket over it. A high bleeping sound startled him into messing up the bedspread. With a scowl he looked into the kitchen just in time to see the newly changed Kory rush into the kitchen and take out the pizzas. She switched off the alarm and gave him a rueful glance.
Unfortunately, he was much too busy trying not to ogle her to notice that the pizzas were ready. The shorts revealed long, lean legs that were the desire of any man. Her tank-top was skin tight, and left little to the imagination. Kory had quite the impressive cleavage, he couldn't help noticing. She had a classic hourglass figure, with strong, lithe arms and a flat stomach. Luckily, the commotion with Austin and Matt saved him from taking his observations any further.
"We found a movie! We found a movie!" They both shouted, rushing into the living room. A calm Ed followed, his cell phone not in sight for a change. Ed shared a look with Jess – both Austin and Matt had an immature, kid side to the both of them that was sometimes overwhelming. Kory crossed into the living room, and viewed the futon bed with a somewhat uncertain look.
Jess smiled at her and said, "The futon bed is yours to sleep in – nobody else will sleep in it."
Kory gave a radiant smile, the first genuine smile they had seen from her, "I give you many thanks, Jess." She said softly in her musical voice. She sat on the futon bed, running her hand over the soft material of the blanket. Immediately she dived under the covers, snuggling in to get herself comfortable for the movie.
"So, do I even want to know what you two picked out?" Jess asked Matt and Austin, who were standing in front of the coffee table with barely contained excitement. The both grinned enthusiastically before saying smugly, "It's a surprise."
"Ugh," Ed groaned, rolling his eyes. He was sitting in the sofa chair and had changed out of his other clothes and into some sweats, and was shirtless. "The last time you surprised us it ended up being a movie suitable for soft core porn."
"If you can watch that with your boys then you know you're bros for life," Austin remarked idly, putting the DVD into the DVD player. "Besides, it isn't anything racy this time. I promise on my love of ganja."
Kory was drifting into sleep by this time, for it had been an exhausting day for her. She watched through drooping eyelids as the movie played, each of the guys talking and joking between each other. Kory shook her head when offered the pipe, but after the hazy smoke filled the room she began to feel even more sleepy and warm. Her thoughts drifted as the movie eventually ended, and the guys sat around and smoked. Austin ended up going back to his room to sleep, and both Ed and Josh left after the conclusion of the movie. Matt stayed the night – Jess had offered him the couch and he had taken the floor. Kory continued to observe with half-lidded eyes as the two fell asleep. Her thoughts were consumed with Robin, and the choices her new life was going to involve. Eventually, Kory drifted into the oblivion of a warm sleep, dreaming about a Robin that loved her and wanted to share his life.
The next day passed like a blur for Kory. Various people came and left the apartment, all of them seemingly there for either Jess or Logan. Austin had left to work, and Logan had gone out to buy some 'needed items' for whatever they had planned for tonight. Paul and Amelia had slipped out of their cave a few times, either to grab some food or go out on a walk. Kory had spent the day cleaning up the house in order to relieve her boredom. There was nothing to do – except for watch movies or sleep, there was nothing to do. There was barely any food in the cupboards, so she had nothing to eat for the whole day and was quite hungry. She had spent most of the day hanging around Jess and Logan, but whenever a new visitor came to the apartment they would both slip off to talk to the person elsewhere.
At the moment Kory was laying on the now folded up futon and watching some programs on the television. They didn't particularly interest her, but Jess was talking in the kitchen to another unknown figure and no one else was at home. It was already seven o' clock in the evening, and Kory had just woken up at four. It was strange, this new life of hers. She had no responsibilities, and though it was freeing in a way, she also felt absolutely bored.
"Alright man, thank, and be safe." Jess said, walking the stranger out of the apartment. He sat down on the couch and sighed, as if he had just run a few miles. He turned over and lay down on his stomach to face Kory, and had a smirk on his face. She looked over at him, and then decided to ignore him. It would deter him eventually, she figured. After a few minutes, she could still feel his gaze on her. With a sigh she turned over and locked eyes with him.
"Yes?" Kory gave in and asked, a small part of her glad that he had given her a distraction.
Jess grinned triumphantly, and sprung off the couch and on top of her. He laughed and began tickling her mercilessly, making her writhe under him with laughter, trying in vain to kick him off desperately. Finally he ceased, and with a glittering smile he got off of her and went back to his place on the couch.
"Are you excited about tonight?" He asked, staring up at the ceiling.
"Everybody has been speaking of an event tonight, but I have no knowledge of what it is or could be." Kory admitted, hoping that Jess would tell her what was planned.
"Well, a friend of ours created this company awhile back, and they usually throw raves and such for people. Tonight is their fourth rave, and we have been to the previous three. So we're definitely going to their rave tonight." Jess explained, an excited look crossing over his face.
"Rave…?" Kory asked, somewhat unsure of what that word meant. Her face flushed hotly at her lack of knowledge – she had never had to ask information from this group before, and Robin had never made a fuss over it. Maybe they would, though.
Jess turned to look at her, noting the way embarrassment turned her red. He grinned and said, "Well my dear, a rave is kind of like a giant dance party, only with strobe lights and absolutely bumpin' music. There are different types of people, though. There are your themed ravers – they usually dress how the rave is themed. There are the candy ravers – they are a bit annoying with all their 'candy' or neon bracelets, necklaces, the works. There are the ravers who are just there for a good time, to dance or for extracurricular activities. Make sure to watch out for anybody who looks like they're rollin' – the undercover police always target those ones, and if you're near them you're automatically a suspect."
When Kory opened her mouth to ask what rollin' meant, Jess silenced her with a look. "We'll explain it later, but for right now just recognize them as people who look like they're sweaty, hot, or are just really into the lights."
The door opened in that moment, and Logan stepped inside carrying numerous bags from all sorts of different stores. He gave them a grin and shut the door behind him, placing the bags on the coffee table. "Let's load a bowl man. I've got everything we need for the rave tonight, including something for our little alien."
Jess laughed and pulled out the bong from under the small table that held a lamp beside the couch. He nodded towards the door, and with a sigh Logan locked the door and sat down on the sofa chair. Logan pulled out a baggie from inside his jacket and handed it to Jess. Kory watched them curiously, dying to ask what exactly Logan had gotten.
"What did you purchase, Logan?" Kory finally asked while watching Jess load a bowl of weed. He placed it back in the stem of the bong, and took out a lighter. He lit the bowl of weed and placed his mouth over the top of the bong, sucking in air. When a cloud of smoke began to rise in the chamber he pulled out the small bowl and sucked the smoke into his lungs. Without letting out a breath he passed the bong to Logan, turning red as he held in the smoke.
When he finally exhaled, Logan was lighting up the bowl and repeating the same actions Jess had. After he had set the bong on the coffee table and exhaled, Logan looked to Kory. "I got some face paint for the guys – and there's enough if you want any as well. I bought tons of the little glowsticks, for lightshows and other fun things," Logan paused getting up and rifling through one of the bags. When he finished searching for whatever it was, Logan pulled it out and held them towards Kory, "And please, please wear these. It would represent us – we're dealing weed there – and let everyone know what group you're in, so nobody will dare mess with you."
In his hand was a pair of vivid green booty shorts. Jess looked at the shorts and back to Kory, then repeated the look twice over. Immediately he jumped in and said, "Kory you have to wear them, for us, please?" He asked, a desperate look on his face.
Kory mulled it over, taking the shorts from Logan and staring at them as if she were trying to speak to them with her mind. Finally she looked up at the two guys – Jess was taking another hit off the bong – and said, "I will wear them."
"Yes!" They both shouted simultaneously, a look of glee on their faces. Kory rolled her eyes, a habit she was fast learning here, and folded the shorts, placing them beside her.
It was now ten o' clock in the evening, and the rave had started an hour ago. Their group was in preparation for tonight and everybody was getting ready at the apartment. Most of the guys were trying to crowd into the tiny bathroom to put on their facepaint, and a few others were changing in Austin's room. Kory was already prepared for tonight, wearing the green booty shorts, a slinky black top that was like a second skin, a pair of black low tops and her hair was curled into flaming red locks. Heidi and John had come over earlier, and Heidi – a beautiful blonde girl with radiant blue eyes – had taken Kory into the bathroom to put some makeup on her. Now Kory had sultry emerald eyes lined with black eyeliner, her lashes had a coat of mascara on them, and she wore two silver hoops in her ears. She sat on the futon, waiting for the guys to hurry up. At ten-thirty the price doubled to get in.
Both Caelum and Joe had called earlier to say that they couldn't make it – apparently Joe's littlest sister had flown in from Florida and wanted to spend the weekend with her favourite big brothers, Joe and Caelum – even though technically both were not related to her by blood. Josh had made some remark that raves were for druggies and that he didn't want any part of it, and Ed had echoed his statement. Both Mikey and Matt had arrived at ten, Matt giving Kory a hug and Mikey – a redheaded guy with green eyes and a beard – checked her out before Logan had arrived to save her. Austin had gotten off work at nine-thirty and gone to the bank to withdraw some cash. He had returned to tell everyone that he was covering them this time around.
"Hey Kory, can you grab the camera from on top of the television?" Austin hollered from the bathroom. Kory got up and after a few seconds of searching found a silver digital camera. She walked to the bathroom, and the sight that met her eyes almost made Kory drop the camera in astonishment. Jess was sitting on the toilet lid, with Logan, Mikey, Austin, and Matt standing around him. Everyone had their faces painted except for Jess – Logan was putting designs on his face with the paint. Austin grinned at Kory from behind his painted mask; his entire face was painted black, almost hiding his glasses, and had intricate blue designs radiating from his temple to his cheek. Logan had his entire face painted white, and had huge black circles painted around his eyes – his lips were painted black as well. Mikey had small black spirals on his face, and Matt had his entire face painted in green, with slashes of black going through it. Kory was speechless, and handed Austin the camera without a word. Logan stepped back, eyeing his handiwork with a smug grin. Jess stood and looked into the mirror – a black slash was painted through his eye, under his eyebrow piercing. An intricate design of thorns and spirals was drawn on his left cheek and went on to his temple. Kory had to admit that they all looked quite impressive.
Austin snapped individual picture of everybody, including himself. After that he told them to stand in the kitchen, for a group photo. After several group photos had been taken, Jess took three rolled joints and stuck them in a small case. Everybody left the apartment, waiting as Austin locked the door behind him. Earlier, they had decided to take Logan's car so that they could all fit in the same vehicle. Logan sat in the driver's seat, with Jess in the passenger's. Mikey, Austin, Matt, and Kory all squeezed in the backseat. After that, they were off to reach the rave.
When they finally reached the rave it was ten-twenty, and they had ten minutes to walk around to find the specific location in this hippie town located on the outskirts of Jump City. They guys were all dressed in pajama bottoms and hoodies – it was an odd sight for Kory, who was dressed up. The pounding vibrations of raging techno music led them to where a crowd of people, well ravers, were standing. The ones that were outside were smoking cigarettes or congregating with their friends. Many shouted out greetings to the guys, but they didn't pause and made their way into the building. It was ten dollars per person, and after Austin paid they each received a stamp on their left hand. They made their way onto the dance floor, and Kory was struck with how similar, and yet different, the rave was compared to the party Blackfire had thrown when she was visiting. There were dj booths at the end of the dance floor with a huge turntable. A screen was shown with strange images flitting across it. Strobe lights and black lights made the room a variety of different colors. Crowds of people were dancing to the music, the beat pounding through their bodies. The room was lined with seats, and a few people were sitting on them and watching the dancers or watching lightshows that people were putting on.
Jess grabbed Kory's arm and led her to one of the booth like seats. "This is where our group will sit." He told her, cracking a glowstick and attaching it to a red ribbon. He tied the ribbon to one of the belt loops on her shorts, giving her a smile as he did so. "And there's your first glowstick. Go have fun."
Once Kory got the hang of dancing, she had a blast. She started out dancing by herself, but soon Mikey, Austin, and Logan were dancing with her. Matt and Jess were meeting buyers in the back of the club, but Kory was having too much fun to be concerned about them. Soon other ravers – looking strange in black leather, or wearing animal ears and tails, even wings – joined them in dancing. Flashes came from the photographer up by the dj's booth; he seemed to be focusing on their little group quite a bit.
Hours passed by, with Kory and the guys taking rests from dancing every now and then. Sometimes they went outside, and once when they were outside Logan had offered Kory a drag off of his cigarette. After a moment's hesitation, Kory had taken a puff of it and much to her surprise, actually didn't mind the taste or feel of the smoke. Logan had given her the rest of it and after she had smoked it they returned back inside. Kory was now back on the dance floor; Austin, Logan, and Mikey were taking another rest at their bench, and Matt was sitting with them. Jess was still in the back with his customers; he hadn't come out once yet.
Kory smiled at a girl who had come to dance with her, and the both swayed their hips to the music. The girl grinned and stepped closer to Kory, beginning to grind against her. Kory's eyes widened in surprise, but the girl just laughed and said, "It's the best way to get his attention, you know. He'll definitely come and dance with you now." And with that she moved off, leaving Kory to ponder her words. Before Kory had time to come up with the significance of what she had said, a pair of hands grabbed her hips and turned her around. Kory found herself staring up into the dark eyes of Jess. He smirked at her and pulled her closer, until her body was touching his.
"Would you like to dance?" Jess whispered huskily, his hand tucking a strand of her hair behind her ears. He was glad to see that she was blushing with her adorable embarrassment instead of with anger.
Not trusting her voice, Kory nodded. Inside, she was filled with turmoil of roiling emotions. She didn't want to have feeling for Jess other than friendship. It was much too soon for that, after all only yesterday Robin had shattered her heart. Not to mention she still had lingering, bittersweet feelings over him. It would only add more confusion to her heart if she began liking Jess as well. Her mind was instantly taken off of those despairing thoughts when Jess began grinding his hips against hers in rhythm to the pounding music. He placed he hands around her waist, so that they were holding her back lightly. His touch sent shivers through her body, and she gazed into his dark eyes. His were staring into hers, not blinking, not looking away – they spent the whole song dancing like that, her hands gripping the top of his arms softly.
After the song ended, Jess kissed the top of her head and moved away from her, trying to keep a grip on his control. There was something in those gorgeous deep green eyes of hers that bespoke of pain, and he didn't want to hurt her either. With that thought firmly in mind, he went outside to smoke a cigarette.
Months later, Kory was sitting on the couch and watching the news channel. The past few months had been a mix of friendship, fun, and confusing feelings of longing for both Jess and Robin. Every month the group hit a rave, and always Jess danced only once with Kory, at the very end before they left. Joe and Caelum had each gone to California to pursue jobs in fixing cars for a famous brand. Both Josh and Ed had left the group, Josh was now happily married and wanted to put his wild friends behind him, and Ed had joined the military to support the three children he had with different women. Now it was only Matt, Austin, Logan, Jess, Kory, and occasionally Mikey when he felt like coming over. Jess had gotten a real job, besides dealing, and was at it right now. The apartment was empty, except for Kory.
A small smile curved her lips as she thought of the changes her arrival had brought about. The fridge and cupboards of the kitchen were now stocked with various items of food – previously the guys had all gone out to get fast food every night, but she had quickly changed that. Mikey, Matt, and Logan had stopped smoking cigarettes, and now only Jess and Kory smoked them. They all still smoked weed, but Kory hadn't wanted to change that. Besides, about a month ago she had taken her first hit off the bong and now smoked regularly with them. Her and Jess had grown rather close these past few months. They often stayed up late talking, watching television, and sometimes play video games. The kiss on the head from the rave had progressed to other soft kisses, on her cheek, her forehead, her hand and even her nose. She knew he had feelings for her, but was holding back and waiting for her to give the okay signal.
A story on the news caught her attention and brought her out of her thoughts. On the television was a clip being played. The newscaster's voice came over the speakers, "Previously known as Boy Wonder, former Teen Titan Robin has been hitting the clubs lately with a lady friend in tow. She is none other than the heiress Shawn Vita, said to inherit over eight billion dollars from her grandfather, the creator of the Vitality Hotel chain that sprawls across Europe. The two were seen dancing rather closely last night, and he ended up spending the night at her penthouse – not only that, but they have been caught kissing and doing some other intimate things in their morning walk around her garden." Kory watched in shock as the clip played, a tall dark figure of Robin wearing jeans and a leather jacket – with his mask in place – swooped in and claimed the lips of an auburn haired beauty.
Kory was stunned. She shut the television off and stared into nothing for a length of time. She hadn't realized how much she still loved him, and longed for him to take back the words he had spoken so long ago atop the Tower. The clip kept playing in a loop in her head, Robin kissing another woman. A beautiful woman. Tears filled her eyes as she felt her heart clench in pain once again. It hit her in that moment – the reason she had kept distance away from involving herself with Jess was because she had been holding out for Robin, unknowingly. But now she knew that the words he had spoken on top of the Tower had been meant seriously. Robin wanted nothing to do with her – he was happy without her in his life, and didn't feel even the smallest spark of love for her.
Angrily, she wiped her tears away. Why should she hold out for something that was a mere dream, which would obviously never happen in reality. Her tormented thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and Jess walked in. He was home early from work.
As soon as he saw her wet cheeks and blotchy face, Jess knew something was wrong. He crossed the room and sat beside her, taking her hands in his. His dark mahogany eyes looked into hers and he asked softly, "What's wrong Kory?"
She didn't say anything, just stared into his eyes. Here was a guy who had waited patiently to get over whatever pain she was in, who cared for her deeply and wanted nothing more than to see her happy. Without another thought she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. It was a soft kiss, an inquiry to ask if he wanted this, if he wanted her. His reaction was everything she had hoped it would be. He kissed her fiercely back, one of his hands placed on the back of her neck and the other on her cheek, as if he didn't want her to pull away. They broke the kiss off and gazed into each other's eyes, their thoughts and feelings reflected in their eyes.
Without a word, Jess picked her up in his arms and placed her on the futon. He unfolded it into the bed and locked the door, including the chain lock.
He knelt over her body, his dark eyes pools of desire and something else. He kissed her lips softly, before moving down to place small butterfly kisses on her neck. Kory closed her eyes, the feeling of his lips on her neck sending shivers through her body. He moved further down; unbuttoning the shirt she was wearing and helping her out of it. He sucked in a breath at the sight of her racy red bra, with white lace trimmings around the edges. Jess kissed the skin right above her cleavage, before softly rubbing her bare skin. He slipped of her bra, and when the cold air hit her nipples hardened.
"You're beautiful, Kory." He murmured, pinching one of them – sending waves of pleasure and pain through her. She moaned in response, making him smirk with pure male ego. He began kissing down her taut stomach, slipping off her jeans as he went. He nibbled her smooth thighs, hooking his thumbs in the sides of her matching underwear. She inhaled sharply, her large emerald eyes looking into his with apprehension. He kissed right above the line of her underwear before taking it off of her, pausing to control himself. He had to remember that this was her first time, and he had to be careful as well as slow. He slipped one finger into her, watching her body tighten in shock before relaxing slightly. She was trembling, and he didn't want to scare her for what was next.
He removed his finger, wiping it on his jeans before taking off his clothes. He smirked once more when he saw Kory's reaction to his body. Her eyes had darkened with lust – Kory was overwhelmed with it in fact. He had a defined six pack, and both his nipples were pierced; something she found inexplicably attractive. He spread her legs, kissing her once more softly to help ease her into the transition.
Kory felt the first thrust like a spear going through her. A burning pain enveloped her, but she didn't show her reaction – although Jess felt it in the tightening of her body. He waited for her to adjust, and when she had he lifted her legs and hooked them onto his shoulders. Kory felt him continue, and her body felt as if a fire were consuming her, tightening further and further until a dark release flooded through her body, making her scream his name as she clenched his shoulders with her nails.
Life wasn't so bad like this, on pause from reality.
Author's Note: Ahem.. Please don't kill me or throw objects at me. I've been writing this nonstop for the past three days, and I'm finally finished. Sadly this one flashback is longer than all the previous chapters combined in one... What does that say? I don't know. Anyway. I have decided that there will be two flashbacks instead of three. This first flashback was basically to show the glamorous side of the life Kory is now living, blah blah blah... The way she's always around people who have grown to love her and they're always having fun. I hope it didn't disappoint! Also if any of the scenes, like the smoking or sex scene were described weird, then sorry. It's my first time writing down a story from my thoughts so it may not have made the transition nicely.(:
Also, please alert me if there are any names that don't match up with the others? Some of the characters were renamed a bunch of times, so I may have missed one of the old names instead of replacing it with an updated one.
Thank you for reading! Please review and tell me what you think; critique is always welcomed, as long as you aren't obscene about it. If you don't like reading about sex, drugs, and violence then please don't bother reading. The whole story will end up offending you. It's rated M for a reason!
~ Cryptic Nightmares