Chapter 11: Koriand'r Emerges
Damn it all.
Robin remained frozen in place, his body paralyzed with fear. Never had he seen Starfire like this. Sure, she'd throw a tantrum and maybe break something by accident, but she wouldn't have some mental breakdown and become some beast. THIS is Starfire? What's with all that violent energy? How come it's red now and not green? Is this what her sister was talking about? He narrowed his eyes with more determination in his voice than he liked to believe. "What…in the hell are you?"
That traitor, that scoundrel, that fiend had the nerve to question her now? She lifted her eyes. "I…am…your…friend, and it is I who will never let you return to Slade. I am not going to allow Slade to taint your heart. This is why, if I must, I shall slay you to keep you from his grip. It is my bestowed duty to BRING YOU BACK!"
Koriand'r fired an eye blast. Robin sidestepped it in time to take Koriand'r's punch, forcing all the air from his stomach. Several more punches pushed the air in and out until Koriand'r's foot connected with his chin.
Robin crashed through pillar after pillar, his back snapping forward each time on impact, until felt a boot pressed into his back. Robin readied a bird-a-rang, but Koriand'r dodged it, brought her fists together and slammed them into Robin's skull, knocking him even further into the belfry.
Seconds passed and an electric disc zipped through the air and landed on Koriand'r's stomach. The momentary shock sent electricity pulsing throughout her body until she grabbed the device and threw it towards the ground.
To hell with this. On the lower level, Robin braced himself and eyed the open window. If I don't leave now, I'm dead. He charged as fast as he could and leapt through the window. He pulled out his grappling gun and fired. As the hook spun around a pipe and Robin swung forward, a red flash whizzed past him. Koriand'r curled her hand into a fist and slammed it into Robin's head. Before Robin could rocket down, Koriand'r grabbed Robin by the ankles, swung him around with all of her might, and hurled him through the belfry wall.
Robin's body felt like it had been through a grinder after smashing through cinderblocks, pillars, planks and crashing against the wall. More cinderblocks poked at his armor while Koriand'r appeared in front of him, grabbing him by the collar.
"Has this punishment opened your eyes?!"
Robin didn't respond- how would he respond? He felt as if he were speaking to the devil himself every time…whatever this thing called itself spoke.
"If you insist and continue to act so stubborn and foolish, I shall immobilize you, crack all of the bones in your body and drag you back screaming if I must! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, ROBIN?!"
"…Just shut up for once." Robin stumbled over his words and gasped for air. "What do you know about me? You know what I've been through? Have you taken a walk in my shoes and seen my life?" More silence as Robin's determination surged. "YOU'RE NOT EVEN FROM THIS PLANET! HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE GO THROUGH EVERY DAY?! TELL ME THAT!" His hands fumbled for the dagger, fresh white powder dangling on the tip. "You're getting in the way of things that don't concern you!"
Robin took the plunge. The dagger pierced Koriand'r's skin, pain rushing throughout her entire body as the poison at once coursed through her veins.
As Koriand'r felt her body numb from paralysis, an agonizing fire raced up and down, up and down. She had the air forced from her stomach as Robin's foot connected. Her breathing became tainted as blood surged in her mouth. The blade twisted left and right, splitting the skin until Koriand'r took no more. With little strength, she grabbed the dagger.
Do not let him destroy us. We are stronger than him.
Robin's eyes widened a bit as he watched Star remove the blade from her stomach. Blood dripped from the edge and more swirled around in the orb at the end of the weapon. With a rush, Star forced a starbolt through Robin's armor, burning a hole in his armor and searing his shoulders. He fell to his knees again, hands rushing to tear off the burned layers of his uniform. Still, he tried to speak. "You can't comprehend how I've lived my life. Why go so far for me?"
Red bled back into green. The hair lowered, claws retracted and violent aura vanished as Starfire's innocent smile resurfaced. "You were one of the first to make me feel welcome on Earth. You introduced me to the culture of this planet and took me on my first ever Earth date. To me, you are more than just someone I consider to be a 'boyfriend,' Robin…but somewhat of a brother. The bonds that you and I share are deeper than anything I can conceive, even stronger than those I share with my sister, despite her becoming a criminal. Do you see why I am risking everything…just for you?"
Moments passed until Robin could make his decision. He retreated to his pockets and pulled out a familiar yellow cape. After placing it on his back, Robin found his old R communicator and placed it on his chest next to his Slade emblem. "Sorry, Star, but there's no going back for me." He tossed the dagger from one hand to the next. "If you have such a strong bond with me, I'll have to break it to prove that I've moved on to greater things."
The red returned, the aura gained strength, Koriand'r returned. "So…we are not great enough for you? Then why do you choose to wear the symbols of family and past life?"
Robin smiled. "To show you that friends can turn against one another for any reason and that the person you knew is gone. From now on, we will fight as adversaries and nothing more."
Koriand'r growled as her grew fangs eager to sink into Robin's flesh. "It appears that all efforts to try and convince you are futile. Robin…how could you?"
"Whine, whine, whine, that's all you do." Robin walked forward, smiling as Koriand'r struggled to stay on her feet and keep open her eyes. "I'm giving you the chance to leave here alive, and you keep asking for death." He threw a swift left- blocked by Koriand'r's right fist- and quick right to the stomach. He could hear her bones rattle as he thrust his knee into her face, her head whipping back and bringing out fresh blood.
As Koriand'r's head bobbed left and right, pain throbbing in her head, she shot back around and fired her eye beams, but missed Robin by a hair. Before she could look down, more agony burned her entire chest as the blade slashed across her body. She stood helpless as Robin gave another uppercut to the chin, knocking Koriand'r off of her feet. He still refuses to listen to reason. Koriand'r hit the ground with a thud and caught Robin's axe kick, but the weight still came down due to the numbness now in her arms. With as much force as she could, she forced Robin's body through the air until it crashed against the giant bell.
Robin's bones rattled upon impact. One hand went to his back, the other to his chest as he remained plastered to the bell. As his arms vibrated from sensation ringing throughout his body, Robin knew body wouldn't take much more of this. A flash and Koriand'r landed before him.
She seized his neck and gave one punch to the stomach and another to the face. Before Robin could fall all the way over, Koriand'r grabbed his neck and set him up for another punch. Robin's head warbled, but whipped back when Koriand'r reeled him back and delivered another punch. Koriand'r wound him back and forth like a yo-yo, punching him down and bringing him back for another. As Koriand'r pulled her fist back to fire a starbolt, Robin held his hands up in defense.
"Star! Stop! It's me!" Robin couldn't believe this was Starfire. Why was she hitting hard enough to kill him? Why wouldn't she just drag him back to the tower and handle him there? He knew Starfire had powers and was a bit dangerous, but where was the love? What happened to the whole Friend Robin she called him? "Star, what's wrong with you?!" He spat out a glob of blood. "You're acting like I'm some criminal."
"Enough!" Koriand'r slammed Robin's head against the bell. "Enough lies…enough excuses, Robin. You have proven that you are evil, and for that you must be punished."
"What are you going to do? Would you kill good old Friend Robin?" Robin tried to appeal to Star's feelings by taking her arm.
"I would, Robin." Koriand'r narrowed her eyes. "I…we have the strength to make sure you never harm anyone again. Either by you returning home or staying here forever, you will never hurt others again." A fire hit Koriand'r as the pain spread across her chest. Her legs warbled, harming her ability to stand straight. Drool leaked down her throat and a huge weight laid in her throat as breathing became impossible. She didn't know what was in that blade Robin used on her, but she knew she wouldn't last long enough to keep her promise. She stumbled backwards, eyes fading off and on from red to green, and raised her fist. This would be the one.
Robin felt it, that pain racing. Someone like Starfire, he knew, could take being hurled through walls, cinderblocks and having your jaw crushed by a fist, but he mustered all the strength he had to stand. He prayed that Starfire would succumb to the poison before he gave in to exhaustion, but she didn't fall, so he clenched his fist. One more punch had to do it. If it didn't kill her, it would at least give him a chance to leave.
He pressed his heel and charged.
She did the same.
Their fists clenched, arms stretched out and fire in their eyes, Robin and Starfire ran towards each other not as friends, but as rivals. And as the bonds of their camaraderie shattered in the bowels of Gotham Cathedral, both knew one would leave alive and the other dead. Robin fought for himself, Starfire for his sake. One would get what they wanted, but whether it mattered after that they didn't know.
A fist connected.