Author's Note:
I'm curious, do you prefer reading DC Fanfiction in first person of third person? I usually don't even bother reading stories that are first person because I don't like to imagine that I'm the character, or that the author is the character. (I'm a huge hypocrite, by the way since my "Popular" series is written in first person, but hey, I was thirteen at the time and didn't even know my own reading preferences.) Luckily for me, most stories appear to be written in third person, and I'm wondering if others feel the same as I do. What do you think?
Also I use some lines from the comics in this chapter; I don't own anything.
Finally, I wanted to remind you that this fic is VERY LOOSELY based on the Outlaws issues. I had many problems with this particular comic, as did a lot of fans, and so I am changing many things about it.
~0~0~0~
Kory found Red Hood in less than five minutes. It wasn't hard, given the man wasn't exactly subtle. She watched, vaguely intrigued as a red-haired male dressed in burgundy stood beside him, his arms bent around a bow of some sorts. He wore a belt with multiple small weapons attached, and his uniform was cut around the shoulders, exposing pale, muscled arms. Kory observed that he too wore a mask, but it only covered his eyes, rather than his entire face.
"Where's the rest of your so-called team?" the archer shouted, and Kory saw Red Hood turn his face in her direction.
"There she is."
Kory would have waved to her new teammate, but she was a little busy. Charging up her starbolts, she let them rain down on the guards surrounding Red Hood and his friend. The guards, surprised by the sudden attack, scattered like ants.
Kory landed in front of the two men and watched curiously as the red haired 'anti-hero' regarded her with shock. The whites where his eyes were widened tremendously, and his mouth hung open at an odd angle.
"Starfire?" he gasped.
Something thudded in her head at the sound of the name. Oddly, it caused her emotional pain. She turned to look at Red Hood as he made a weird strangled noise in his throat.
"Wait, what the fuck? Are you fucking with me, Roy?" he asked, at a lost.
The ginger-haired man shook his head, his eyes never leaving Kory. "Starfire, I didn't realize you were on Earth. Shit, it's been like a year." He paused when he noticed her blank stare. "It's me, Roy. Remember? Speedy?" He shook his bow. "Well, it's Arsenal now."
"My name is Koriand'r, but you may call me Kory, as Jason does," she responded coolly, not liking the fact that she was allegedly supposed to remember the stranger in front of her.
"Came up with it myself," Red Hood said, grinning beneath his mask.
Arsenal rounded on the other man. "This isn't funny, Jason. Dick's gonna fucking shred you when he finds out you're running around with her."
Red Hood crossed his arms, unimpressed. "He can fucking try. How the fuck was I supposed to know this was her? Besides, it doesn't matter. Dicky and I aren't exactly on the best of terms. Shit though, I'd love to see the look on his face. Maybe we should make a pit stop in Bludhaven…" Although Kory couldn't see Jason's face, she had a feeling his smile had turned malicious.
Roy, or Arsenal-X'hal, the names on this planet were confusing-looked like he was about to snap again, but he would have to wait, for at that moment more gunfire sounded from above them.
"Hope you thought of a way out of here," Arsenal hissed, as the three of them ran to take cover behind a pile of concrete.
"Don't get your G-string in a twist," Red Hood snapped back, firing one of his guns and hitting a guard in the leg.
"Jason, is there a way I can be of assistance?" Kory said to him over the noise of the gunfire.
"Actually Kory, if you could fly ahead and take out any tanks in the way, that'd be great," Jason replied pleasantly.
Kory nodded while Arsenal looked to Red Hood in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You're just going to let her get annihilated?"
Red Hood fired his gun three more times and then shrugged. "Didn't I tell you to fucking relax? She'll be fine. Won't you?"
Kory nodded again. "I will send up a flare once I have cleared the area."
Flying fast enough to avoid the gunfire in the clearing, Kory blasted through another wall in the prison, scattering concrete in every direction. Sure enough, another tank was waiting for them, and she easily took it out with her eyebeams. Then, using her strength, she grabbed the barrel of the tank and swung it around, slamming it into the watchtower of the facility. The destruction was enough to distract the remaining guards, and Kory sent up a flare to notify Jason and Roy of her success.
Within seconds she spotted them, and they sprinted alongside her through the massive hole she had created. Arsenal turned around and sent a well-timed arrow into the shoulder of one guard who insisted on chasing them out. After he fell down, they were home free.
"Hope you don't mind carrying our asses back to home base?" Red Hood asked, casting Kory a sideway glance as they ran.
Kory shook her head. "Where is this home base?"
Arsenal grinned. "Only the sweetest place on Earth." His smile dropped, and he glared at Red Hood. "Don't think I'm gonna drop the whole Starfire thing." Red Hood flipped up his middle finger.
Kory pursed her lips, not too pleased about being spoken about as if she were not there. "I insist you refer to me as Kory."
Arsenal must have realized his rudeness, for he smiled sheepishly. "Right, sorry…Kory then."
The trio slowed as the prison faded away into the distance. Kory, wanting desperately to see this 'base' grabbed each man by the arm. "Please, lead the way."
~0~0~0~
They landed on a sandy beach on the island of St. Martinique two hours later. Normally Kory would have been exhausted after flying so much in one day, but the blazing sun in this area had instantly recharged her body. As she followed Red Hood and Arsenal down the beach, she halted when they came to a modest beach house made of driftwood and bamboo.
"This is your base?" she questioned disbelievingly. She had expected a fortress similar to the one they had just escaped. This was nothing more than a homely shack.
"It's a work in progress," Red Hood called over his shoulder, as he and Arsenal moved into the house. They emerged a few minutes later in civilian swimwear, without their masks.
"Kory, make yourself comfortable," Jason told her, wandering over to the outdoor makeshift bar and fixing himself a drink. "You can have the room by the ocean side if you want," he sent her a wink.
Roy looked like he was about to complain about Jason's shameless flirting, but once he saw the alcohol at the bar he rushed over, downing two shots.
"Easy, Tiger," Jason said, raising an eyebrow.
Roy coughed a little. "It's been a while since I've had good shit, or any at all really." He took another shot. "Damn, that's smooth."
"Knock yourself, out," Jason said, throwing him a bottle of liquor. "Literally." He turned to look at Kory, who hadn't moved. "I'm going to walk into town and get you something to swim in," he informed her. "Be back in ten."
As soon as he was out of sight, Kory felt Roy's eyes on her. She wanted to groan. She had a feeling he was going to pester her about her past. Nonetheless, she wanted to become companions with him, if they were to be on a team together.
She flew over to the bar and took a seat, watching as Roy made a mixed drink for himself. He lifted the bottle in a silent question, but she shook her head. Earthlings' systems may be weak, but the Tamaranean system was much stronger. Alcohol had little to no effect on her.
"Mind if I ask you something?" Roy asked casually, taking a large gulp from his drink, and then switching directly to the bottle.
"I suppose not," she responded, propping her chin on her hands.
"Where have you been for the past year?"
Kory furrowed her eyebrows. "Why, on Tamaran of course."
Roy nodded, shaking his drink around. "That's what we all thought."
"We?"
"Me, Dick, Gar, Vic, Raven, all of us," he explained. "We assumed you were on Tamaran, but we couldn't get in contact with you. Vic thought you might have had your communicator turned off."
"Communicator? You mean this device?" Kory asked, lifting the black and yellow object from her belt.
Roy frowned. "Do…do you really not remember anything? About me? About the Titans?"
Kory frowned. "My apologies. I believe you have me confused with someone else."
Roy shook his head roughly; an indicator that maybe the alcohol was taking effect. "So you don't remember Dick then?"
She tried not to think about the rapid beating of her heart and the acute pain in her chest at the name. "No."
"Vic? Garth?"
"No."
"Gar? Raven?"
"You are boring me," Kory said, sighing. Would he not let the matter go?
Roy shook his head again in disbelief. "Weird," he mumbled to himself, his mind clearly still on the topic of her apparently damaged memory.
While Kory wanted to ask more about his relationship with Jason, she realized now was not the time. He was already far too influenced by his alcohol intake. She would have to try again later tonight, when he had hopefully sobered up.
Jason returned soon afterwards with two pairs of swim attire, one purple colored, one white. They were both fairly revealing, but Kory was beginning to recognize that such actions were Jason's attempt to humor himself.
Kory entered the beach shack, finding her room so she could change. She examined the device on her belt-a communicator she realized now, from her conversation with Roy-and placed it inside a drawer of her beside table. She quickly changed into the purple bathing suit and joined her male companions outside.
Jason looked up as she came into view. "Knew you'd choose the purple one. Don't I know how to pick 'em?"
"The Earthly suit of bathing is quite lovely," Kory admitted, sitting down on the sand next to Jason. She glanced over at Roy who was swaying by the bar.
"I had an…interesting conversation while I went to get those," Jason went on, "I'll have to tell you about it later."
Roy hiccupped. "This isn't about fucking Essence, is it?"
Jason smirked. "Maybe."
Once again they had lost her. She really needed to get some answers from these two. When the three eventually became enveloped in light conversation, a pair of eyes watched from a distance, focusing on the Tamaranean woman in the trio.
~0~0~0~
Over the next few days, Kory tried to find a time to have a serious conversation with Roy, but whenever she stumbled upon him, he had a drink in his hand. She was beginning to suspect he had an addiction.
"Why does Roy drink so much?" Kory asked Jason one late afternoon, as the sun began to set. The two sat on the porch, their legs hanging over the side.
"Roy's had a pretty fucked life for a while," Jason explained. "Got himself involved with someone 'from the other side' as old Dicky would say."
Kory frowned. She wished this 'Dick' person would stop coming up in conversations. "Involved with someone?" she asked instead.
"An assassin. Jade. She's pretty badass too. From what he's told me the League wasn't too happy. The Titans' weren't either. Got caught in the middle, ended up pissing both them and her off at the same time. Pretty talented, that guy." He raised an eyebrow. "Wonder what you'd have thought if you were still with the Titans, if you're really who Roy says you are."
"What do you think?" Kory countered.
Jason snorted. "About the Jade thing? Roy can fuck who he wants."
"It sounds as if he was in love," Kory mused, looking out at the sea, noticing how the waters turned orange from the sunset.
"Probably still is."
"Have you ever been in love, Jason?" she inquired, turning to look at her companion. The expression on his face was so bewildered and indignant that Kory burst out laughing. "Oh, never mind."
"Alright, if we're playing the question game then it's my turn," Jason said. "Have you ever hated anyone?"
Kory glanced at him in mild surprise. "I am sure not in the way you do, certainly."
"Not even Dick? Roy says that's why you left in the first place."
She frowned. "I do not remember."
Jason scoffed. "Ah, come on, don't give me that crap. What is it with women? They get their hearts broken and suddenly they can't 'remember' anything about-"
Kory stood up abruptly. "Thank you for your company. I am retiring for the night."
Jason looked surprised at her response, but he tried to shake it off. "Whatever."
Kory stalked back into her room and sat on her bed, burying her face in her hands. She could feel tears prick the corner of her eyes.
She was so tired of feeling confused. She thought she would find peace on Tamaran, and then here, but everywhere she went she was questioned about things she was supposed to remember. Everyone kept saying she left Earth, and now apparently her and this Dick person were romantically involved. They said he had broken her heart.
She was starting to believe them.
At least that would explain the gaps in her memory. These feelings, feelings for someone she did not remember; they could be buried deep inside her. She could try to find ways to jog her memory. It would certainly clear things up, but was the pain of discovering the truth worth it?
Her head jerked up as she heard a gentle knock on her door. She automatically tensed, thinking it was Jason, but she relaxed when she recognized Roy. Apparently the drinking for the night had not yet commenced.
"Mind if I come in?" he asked carefully, noticing her emotional state.
Kory sniffed, but shook her head. She had been meaning to talk to him anyway. Roy paused for a moment, and then sat next to her on her bed. They were silent for a while, before he eventually cleared his throat.
"Something happen with you and Jason?" He glanced at her.
Kory shook her head again. "With me."
"Ah." Silence. "Uh, are you and he…? Are you, like, his girl or something?"
Kory glared. "I belong to no one."
"Oh, my bad."
Kory sighed. "It is the alright."
As they lapsed into silence, Kory took the time to observe Roy. She supposed he looked vaguely familiar, but she really could not say. Without thinking she reached over and grabbed the end of his hair between two fingers.
"Did you used to have shorter hair?" she inquired.
Roy smiled. "Yeah. I was messing with it every five minutes though; making sure it was all in place. It's easier this way. Besides, I think the look suits me."
Kory nodded, dropping her hand. "I suppose it does." She paused. "Do you mind if I inquire about how you and Jason met?"
Roy leaned back on his hands. "Not at all. Long story short, I sort of got into a bit of trouble. No one wants to work with a hero who can't pick sides. That is, except for someone who's gone through the exact same thing."
"You and he are similar, yes?"
Roy chuckled. "I definitely don't like to say it out loud, but yeah we kinda are. We both started off on the right side, got lost for a while, and now we're making our way back." He coughed uneasily. "I don't suppose you remember Cheshire? We all fought her together once."
"We?"
"The Titans."
"No I do not remember. My apologies."
"It's alright." Roy looked up at the ceiling. "Jason doesn't know this. None of them do…but I have a daughter. With her. With Jade, er, Cheshire."
Kory smiled. "That is wonderful, Roy."
He smiled absently. "Yeah. I only got to meet her once. Things went sour after I left to start doing hero work again. Then I got captured."
"So you were not being detained for criminal activity?" Kory clarified. She knew Jason had mentioned that before, but she wanted to confirm it with Roy.
"Nah. It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic."
"Why are you here then, if you do not mind me asking?" Kory shifted her body so she could turn to him. "Surely you wish to be with Jade and your daughter. You should seek them out. "
Roy sighed. "It's not that simple. I just need to give her some time. Hell, I don't even know where they are right now. I just gotta hope I'll see them again one day."
Kory smiled softly. "You will."
The corner of Roy's mouth quirked upwards. "I have one question for you. It's not about Dick I promise," he hastily added when her eyes flashed green.
Kory calmed. "Very well."
"Why did you come back to Earth? If you wanted to leave so badly."
She studied her hands in her lap for a moment, thinking over the question. Finally, she met his eyes.
"To find peace."
~0~0~0~
The next morning Kory went to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water when Jason brushed past her, clearly still grumpy from the night before. Kory rolled her eyes, but she tried to hide a smile. She knew enough about his character by now to know that most things were just an act with him.
"Good morning," she said politely, taking a sip of her water.
Jason grunted, then started up the coffee maker. Kory took a seat at the kitchen table and watched him. She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle when he moved over to the fridge and stubbed his toe, letting out a string of curses. He really was just a toddler.
Eventually he sat down across from her with his coffee and a bowl of cereal. He seemed content to ignore her, but her humor-filled eyes must have gotten to him, for he finally met her gaze.
"Dick's an asshole. Never really liked him," he said, and then continued to eat his cereal.
She smiled, knowing this was as close to an apology as he could make.
~0~0~0~
Author's Note:
Jason and Dick's relationship is…complicated. Dick views Jason as a brother, and I truly believe Jason feels the same way deep down, but it's buried by his resentment for him. Everything always felt like a competition for Jason, and all the things Kory dislikes about Dick-his controlling behavior, his isolation, his constant seriousness-are the same things that make Jason hate Dick.
I believe deep down Jason cares about Dick's well being, but I also truly think that a part of him really hates him for who he is. That's why he goes out of his way to make life a living hell for him. Wait until Dick finds out Starfire and him are teammates. Anyway, that's my take on their relationship. What's yours?