Chapter 13: Black Tears

Luna groaned as she stirred in bed. She winced as she felt an unbearable pressure on the side of her head. As she tried to raise her arm to feel it, she was met with a piercing pain in her arm, which made her cry out. She noticed her left arm was in a cast, and she could feel most of her body was numb. She moved her right hand over the bruised sites. The memories came flooding back in a haze: the gangsters, the attack… and Predator coming to her rescue.

She turned to look around and observe her surroundings. She was in a white room surrounded by medical equipment; a hospital, for sure. To her left, she saw Predator sitting in a chair, fast asleep. She smiled as she heard him tiredly groan as he slowly awoke. His eyes popped wide open when he saw her.

"Hey, you." She said, quietly.

"Hey! You're up." Predator exclaimed as he jumped from the chair and rushed over to her bedside. "How're you feelin'?"

"I'm fine." She answered calmly. "I'm a tough girl, remember? What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll live."

"Too soon." She joked.

"Right...my bad." He sulked, not catching on to the joke. "I..."

Luna noted his hesitation.

"You...what?"

"I...nothin'." Predator whispered, looking down.

"Hey..." Luna placed her hand under his chin and nudged his head up, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Look at me. It's okay; I'm still here...talk to me."

"I..." He started. "I blame myself...those lunatics came after you, cause a' what I did at the bar. If I hadn't done that, then you wouldn't be..."

She placed two fingers against his lips and shushed him.

"I said it's okay." She said. "You've no reason to blame yourself. If anything, it's all on me and for good reason: I lied to you, I put you in a bad position, and I hurt you. You had every right to be angry at me."

"Yeah, but...still. It really wasn't any a' my business. I dunno if ya planned on tellin' me the truth at some point or you were gonna cut ties with it - either way, I shouldnt've done anything and...I'm sorry."

Luna bit her lip for a second.

"To be honest, Stripes, I did wanna tell you, but I wasn't sure when or how, even. I really needed the money and as much as I hated it, it was all I had going for me - for a while at least." Luna explained. "Being a kid on the streets isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows, but you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"Actually, I do." He retorted, glumly - surprising her. "I spent a lotta time in the streets before I started livin' with my friends. I didn't have any place to live so I couldn't really get a job. Most of the time I had to hunt for food - or steal it if I really had to. I spent most of my time sleepin' on rooftops and under bridges. If not for my powers, I'd probably be dead."

"And you say I'm full of surprises." She said, impressed.

"Eh, s'not somethin' I like to talk about." Predator shrugged.

"Why'd you come back, anyway?" Luna smirked.

"Hm?"

"After everything that happened, the last thing I expected was for you to forgive me and...be friendly. So... what's up with that?"

"Cause it's what I do; I'm the good guy, remember?" He smirked. "And also, I just...really care about ya, y'know?"

"I…" Luna blushed. "I care about you, too."

Predator leaned towards her until the door suddenly opened and one of the doctors stepped in.

"Good evening, Ms. Rose." He said. "And you are…?"

"I'm Predator." He answered. "We're friends."

"Right." Dr. James scrutinized Predator's outfit and appearance. "Well, I see that Ms. Rose is awake now. That's a good thing."

"Ms. Rose is my mom." Luna said. "I'm just Luna."

"A-ha, I see. My mistake."

"So, is she gonna be all right, doc?" Predator asked.

"Well, given the circumstances, I'd say she's lucky to be alive. You're the young man who saved her, is that correct?"

"Yeah."

"Then it's fair to say that you did indeed save her life. In most cases, gang attacks are fatal. Those ruffians are just so cruel and ruthless. In just 15 seconds, they can beat a man or woman within an inch of their life. You got there just in the nick of time."

"And her injuries?"

"Right." Dr. James took out a sheet from his file. "She sustained massive trauma to the left hemisphere near the temporal lobe. As well as a broken left arm, three broken ribs, and a series of bruises across her back and sides."

"That reminds me: can I have some morphine?" Luna asked. "My head is killing me."

"Just press the button on your remote there."

"Oh, yeah." Luna said elatedly as she pressed the button. "So I can leave now?"

"Oh no, we can't let you go right now. You'll have to stay here for a few more days and get some rest. At least until we're certain that you're out of the danger zone. If I let you go early, I could be sued for malpractice." Dr. James chuckled.

"Eh, don't worry about that, doc." Luna said. "I can't afford to sue you. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure I can't afford the bill you're gonna give me later. So, fair's fair, just let me go home."

"I think ya oughta listen to 'im, Luna." Predator said. "I mean the guy is a doctor. If ya ask me, you're lucky to be alive right now so the least you can do is follow his orders and get some shut-eye."

"Oh, come on." Luna whined. "I'm fine, really."

She winced and reached for her forehead.

"Oh, you'll be getting those quite frequently for the next few weeks." Dr. James said. "I'll write you up a prescription for oxycodone."

"See, ya just proved my point." Predator scolded her. "Just do what he says and you'll be home in no time, cool?"

"Fine." Luna sighed, defeated.

"And...when ya get discharged, we need to talk." Predator said in a serious tone. She glared at him in confusion. "Anyway, I should get goin'. Ya better not do anything stupid after I leave."

"How can I when you're taking all the stupid with you?" She rolled her eyes. Predator chuckled lightly as he headed towards the window.

"Very well, then." Dr. James said. "The nurse should be here with your medicine, soon. You get some rest, I'll be back to check on you in a few hours."

"Okay." Luna frowned, meekly.

"Oh, also, we tried to contact your parents but we've received no answer. Is there something wrong at home?"

"No." Luna answered indifferently. "My parents are away on business."

Predator narrowed his eyes at her as he listened to her heart beating rapidly. He could only brush it off for the moment; he jumped out the window, resigning himself from the room. The doctor's eyes widened as he did a double take, but then recollected himself.

"Ahem - well then, if you need anything, just call." Dr. James said.

"Mm-hm." Luna muttered, staring out the window Predator jumped through.

4 Days Later

"How's ya head?" Predator asked as he and Luna traversed through the streets, towards her home.

"It aches here and there, but I'll be fine." Luna assured, grasping her head.

"If you start feelin' worse, let me know."

"So you can drag me back to that lousy hospital? Fat chance."

"I'm serious, Luna." Predator said sternly. "The doc said ya might have episodes of PTSD; I'm not takin' any chances with ya."

"I know, I know." She scoffed. "God, does being a hero also mean being so officious all the time?"

"Heh, this is nothin' compared to what I do on the regular."

A few minutes went by until they arrived at a medium sized apartment building with a fire escape going up the side.

"This it?" Predator asked.

"Mm-hm. It's on the top floor; hold on, I'm gonna get the-HEY!" Predator suddenly lifted her up, bridal style.

"Hang on." Luna shouted as Predator jumped all the way to the top of the fire escape. Her heart rapidly pounded in her chest from the shock.

"God!" Luna exclaimed in anger as Predator set her down. "All that talk about PTSD and you're about to give me more!?"

"Sorry..." Predator muttered. Luna sighed as she opened the window to her bedroom. She didn't waste any time jumping inside, whereas Predator remained where he was, rather indifferently. Luna looked back and took notice.

"You coming in or what?" She asked.

"Oh uh, yeah...sure." The tone in his voice seemed less than thrilled.

Predator hopped in and analyzed her room. It was a purple-wall painted bedroom with a few Marilyn Manson posters, a laptop, and a queen-sized bed with a black and purple comforter. Hanging on the ceiling were green plastic stars - like the kind that glow in the dark at night time.

"You weren't expecting a room full of Pretty, Pretty Pegasus toys and a vanity mirror covered with pictures of the cast of some overrated boy band, were you?" She asked.

"I wouldn't know; I've never been in a girl's room before." Predator answered looking around. "This is actually better than Beast Boy's room."

"Who's Beast Boy?"

"He's the green guy on my team."

"Ohh, right." She muttered as she plopped down on her bed. "Ugh... there is literally nothing better than your own bed; that hospital was such a pain."

"It was that bad, huh?"

"Have you ever had to stay at a hospital? It's torture."

"Yeah, for six months. I was in a coma; it was after the accident." Predator explained as he sat next to her.

"Oh, right...stupid question." Luna said, apologetically. "Sorry."

"Eh, don't be."

"Hey, so I've been wondering..." She said. "What was your life like before the accident?"

"Believe it or not, it was pretty normal. I went to school, I went home and hung with my parents."

"What were your parents like?"

"The best things a kid could ask for. There was a time where I thought things were perfect - I hoped it would always stay that way. But then my mom got some cancer-like disease and my dad became a workaholic tryin' to make a cure for her. I barely saw him anymore and it got to the point where I despised him for neglecting me so much. By the time he wanted to fix things, it was already too late...and then that's when everything happened..."

Predator looked down for a moment, planting a fist on his head. He sighed as he tried to contain himself.

"Ugh, god." He mumbled, slowly recollecting himself. "Anyway, my dad did everything he could to save my mom. I was just too stupid to see that 'cause all I wanted was for things to go back to the way they were. My dad wanted the same thing...so he told me to come visit his lab one day. He felt terrible for how bad things had gotten and he really wanted to make things better for us. All he wanted was for us to be a family again."

Luna reached over and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked over to her, glumly.

"It's okay." She said. "What happened?"

"They called my dad up while I was in his lab." Predator's tone shifted to underlying anger. "And then he showed up… this thug with black and gray hair—he just waltzed right in and sabotaged the cure. I didn't do a thing because he scared the crud outta me - then he just left. Then my dad came back, he needed to run another test and…well, now he's gone, my mom's gone, and I'm this thing."

"Did you get the name of the guy who killed him?"

"No...but I remember his face; it's practically burned into my skull. I'm gonna find him one day...and when I do, I'm gonna make him look me in the eye - let him know who I am, what he's done to me, what he took from me...and I'm gonna make him pay."

"You'll find him; I know you will." Luna said, confidently. "I guess this is the part where you ask about my parents, huh?"

"Yeah, actually. I knew ya weren't tellin' the truth about them the other day."

"I didn't wanna mention it to a whole stranger."

"That makes sense." Predator shrugged. Luna took a deep breath as she prepared herself.

"So… when I was eight, my dad left for the army. I didn't see him that much, but he always called and told me he loved me. My mom was so happy. She always talked about how brave he was; she was so proud of him."

"What happened to him?" Predator asked. Her lip suddenly started to quiver.

"He was...Killed In Action." Luna explained, placing her hand on her forehead. "It was two years after he left."

"Ah, jeez...Luna, I didn't know." Predator whispered as she placed her head against his chest. "You can stop if ya want."

"No, I want to." She insisted. "I spoke to him the day before it happened. It was two weeks before he was gonna come home."

Luna broke into tears and found herself unable to continue speaking. Predator wrapped his arms around her in an effort to comfort her.

"I'm sorry." He said. "Really, I am."

Luna pulled away, trying to compose herself.

"Yeah." She replied, wiping away her tears. "Anyway, my dad was killed in the line of duty. Things got really bad after that; my mom started drinking, then she started ignoring me. I keep thinking she resents me, as if I'm the reason for what happened to Dad."

"What makes you say that?"

"My dad was the type of guy who spoiled me. He got me whatever I want, whenever I wanted it...but no matter how hard he tried, I just ended up wanting more from him. I feel like he got tired and used the army as an excuse to get away from me. I wouldn't blame him if that was the case."

"I don't think that's the case." He argued. "From what it sounds like, ya dad only wanted the best for ya. Having a dad that went out to serve - just seems like all he wanted was to make you proud. But ya mom, though - yeah, it's messed up how she treats ya but...believe it or not, I think she's still grieving'."

"Grieving!? You can't be serious!" Luna snapped. "She pretty much abandoned me and forced me to look after myself. All she does is sit in the living room and drink all day; I'm the one paying all the bills in this crappy apartment. If anyone should be hurting, it's me."

"I get that, really I do. But grief hits everyone in a different way. You lost ya dad and that pretty much destroyed her on the inside. When my mom was dyin', my dad did everything he could to stop it. She meant literally everything to him...and losing her would've destroyed him. With ya mom, it's definitely the same situation."

"Yeah, but..." Luna sighed in defeat. "I guess you're right."

"Believe me, I know what it's like to lose a loved one. It makes ya lose sight of who you really are to the point where you feel like nothin' exists anymore. Ya mom's still in a dark place but that doesn't mean she's not tryna get out of it. Grief can hurt you for years - but eventually there comes a point where ya bounce back. I know how you guys feel...but you gotta give it time."

"Alright, I guess I'll try." Luna sighed as she rested her head back on his shoulder. "I just realized something."

"What?"

"We both lost our parents when we were little. Who would've thought we'd ever meet up in the long run?"

"Yeah, it's kinda crazy, now that ya mention it." Predator chuckled.

Luna suddenly looked up at him with a sweet smile.

"I'm really glad I met you, Stripes." She said, now slowly leaning towards him.

"Yeah, me too." He agreed, doing the same.

"Nobody's ever made me feel as safe as you do. I mean it...seriously." She closed her eyes but was cut off when Predator pressed her shoulder. Luna opened her eyes in confusion, seeing his head was turned away from her and his face appeared apprehensive.

"Luna...no." He mumbled.

"What's wrong?" She asked, narrowing her eyebrows.

"We can't..."

"Ugh, if it's because of the mask thing, it's fine. I'm not gonna pressure you this time." She scoffed, attempting to lean towards him again.

"No, it's not that, Luna!" Predator said, pulling away again. He stood from the bed and took a few steps forward. "Remember when I told ya we needed to talk?"

"Y-yeah?" She stuttered, anxiously.

"It was about us..." He said, downheartedly. "We need to stop this...all of it."

"W-what? B-b-but why?" Luna stood up in disbelief. "Is it something I did?"

"No, it wasn't somethin' you did...it's what I did."

"If it's because of what happened, it wasn't your fault." Luna argued, her voice unsteady.

"No it was my fault! Don't you get it!?" Predator retored. "Those dingbats attacked you because of me! Because you knew me and look what happened; they almost killed you!"

"But they didn't! You made sure of that; you even told one of them to skip town - you saved me."

"Yeah, sure I took care of 'em this time, but how do we know that's the last it'll happen? What if it happens again and I don't make it, huh!? It's bad enough I let ya take part in this in the first place...I can't risk puttin' you through that anymore."

"So your best idea is to leave, is that it!?" Luna snapped, angrily. "To pretty much abandon me, just like everyone else has; just like my mom has! Why'd you even walk home with me - or better yet- why would you let me talk about my parents if this was your plan from the get-go?"

Predator dejectedly looked at the ground, unable to conjure up some kind of response. Luna scoffed in disappointment. After all they had been through, Predator was really going to drop everything and leave her. The strain in her chest was more painful than the injuries she sustained. Her sadness quickly shifted into anger.

"You piece of...GRGH!" She exclaimed, balling up her fist. "So that's it then? We're through, just like that, huh?"

"Trust me...it's better this way." Predator said, turning his back to her. "...I'm sorry."

"Better for who, though? For me or for you!?"

There was a tense moment of silence. Luna stared at him endlessly upset, even though his back was turned to her. But it didn't take words in order for her to understand he had already made up his mind. Tears once again fell from her eyes as Predator jumped out the window without a single word - not even batting an eye in her direction.

Luna felt weak at her knees. She sat back on her mattress as black tears endlessly fell from her face. The boy who she deemed her best friend - moreoverly, her first love - was gone for good. She pressed her free hand against her face, sobbing audibly.

Titans Tower

Predator sat about on the roof of the tower. He rubbed his forehead in frustration, still hung up on everything that happened tonight. The instance kept replaying in his head like a broken record. He hated himself more than ever for what he did, but at the same time, he knew it was the right call. The world Predator resides in was way too dangerous for her and he was an idiot to think it wise to let her tag along. Although he really liked her - maybe even loved her - he knew they belonged in separate worlds. It was like he said: it was for the best.

He suddenly felt a hand touch his shoulder. Though it was sudden, he casually looked back and saw Raven. She gave him a small smile as she sat next to him. He briefly smiled back, then looked back at the city. Her company made him feel a little bit better, though his mind still dwelled.

Pretty soon they were both in the living room of the tower, seated on the couch with all the other Titans. There was a large bucket of popcorn seated on Beast Boy's lap - likely an indicator for movie night. Most of the Titans laughed hysterically at the film they were watching, whereas Predator - seated at the end of the couch - continued to stare out the window, disinterested in the movie. His head rested on his fist until he noticed the popcorn placed in front of him. He looked over and saw Starfire offering him some popcorn. They were all giving him friendly smiles.

He smiled back at them and took a handful of popcorn. He took a piece of popcorn and flipped it into his mouth. His mind felt at ease from everything and he found himself watching the movie with them. Though it wasn't enough to rid him of the heartbreak, he was internally grateful to have them as a support system.

Three Weeks Later

Luna was leaned against the windowsill of her bedroom, feeling the brisky, night time wind blow against her hair. She glanced downward at all the street activity taking place below her. She suddenly caught eye of a young teen couple - a boy and girl - passing by. She scoffed as she stepped away from the window.

She opened her closet and pulled out a pair of light blue clothes - similar to the attire of a veterinarian - then hung them on her vanity mirror. She then opened the drawer under the mirror and pulled out a name tag with a photos of a dog and cat in a heart on it. It read: 'Assistant Veterinarian: Luna Rose'.

Luna suddenly heard the door open from the side, catching her completely off guard. She looked over and entering the room was a woman who looked to be in her late 30's, early 40's. She had long, messy black hair and puffy red eyes, most likely from crying. Her clothes were slightly ragged and in her hand was a half-empty bottle of vodka. Luna was completely shook when she stared eye-to-eye with her mother.

Her mom suddenly dropped the bottle on the floor, making it roll out of the doorway. She stared glumly at Luna as she slowly approached her. Though silent, the vibe between the two grew intense. Luna had not spoken to her mother in so long, it seemed like she was being approached by a complete stranger. When her mother reached her, she slowly brought a hand up to Luna's cheek. Luna's heartbeat intensified as she glanced at the hand, then back at her mom.

A tear fell from her mother's cheek and her lips started shivering as she stared at her daughter, feeling like she hadn't seen her in so long. To see her so grown up was an overwhelming experience. Without a single word, Luna was pulled into a powerful, loving hug. Luna was so caught off guard, she didn't realize tears were falling out of her eyes as well.

Rather than push her away or express some form of anger from years of neglect, Luna also ended up wrapping her arms around her mom. Despite so many years of neglect, Luna did not feel any ill-will against her. The hugs from both parties were ultimately genuine and spoke more words than any sorry ever could. Luna and her mom didn't try to break the hug, not once - not even for oxygen.

Predator watched from the rooftop across from them and he proudly smiled at them. His ears twitched at the sudden screeching of police sirens from a distance. He briefly looked back in the direction of the sirens, then back at Luna. He smiled once again, then took off in the other direction. His eyes turned dark red and his hair turned grayish white as he ran on all fours across the rooftops at an unbelievable speed.

To Be Continued